


All The Small Things

by Chibs



Series: Side A [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: ADHD, Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Angst with a Happy Ending, Depression, Getting to Know Each Other, Homophobia, Living With Depression, M/M, Model Lev, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Abuse, Photographer Yaku, Slow Burn, getting over depression
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-02-10 05:17:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 72,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12904905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chibs/pseuds/Chibs
Summary: The silver haired man whipped around with frightening speed to fix piercing green eyes on the newcomer. Yaku was slightly disturbed by howstillLev was as he seized him up. After a moment he walked up to the shorter man and Yaku couldn’t help but thinkholy fucking shit how is anyone allowed to be this TALL??His expression didn’t falter as he stared up into the model’s eyes. Lev grinned.





	1. He's not that bad

**Author's Note:**

> _All the small things_  
>  _True care truth brings_  
>  _I'll take one lift_  
>  _Your ride best trip_  
>  _Always I know_  
>  _You'll be at my show_  
>  _Watching, waiting, commiserating_  
>  _Say it ain't so, I will not go_  
>  _Turn the lights off, carry me home_

Yaku Morisuke had been an ambitious young man, full of passion and confidence and knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life. At the age of four he had already accumulated a small box full of disposable cameras, each one filled with awful amature shots, very obviously the work of a child. Though his parents were distant and hardly ever home they filled the void their absence left by supporting their youngest son’s endeavors. In the beginning, his favorite subjects to capture had been animals, flowers, and household objects.

When Yaku turned eight his parents bought him a basic digital camera, something simple and small with a thin black strap to fit around his scrawny wrist. It held about five hundred photos and Yaku found himself having to empty the memory card onto the family computer every few days or so. At this time his favorite subjects to capture had become unsuspecting civilians, insects, and random garbage left to clutter the parks and gardens around his home.

The year Yaku turned thirteen was the same year that his older brother left Tokyo to attend college several hours away; like his parents, his brother was distant with him. Though the two had never been close, his parents still decided to soften the blow by getting Yaku his very first expensive digital camera in the hopes that it would distract their child from the now empty household. He had been so excited when his parents--home for the first time in six weeks--had surprised him with a trip to the camera store. They allowed him to pick out the exact model he had been eyeing for months; a black name brand model with removable lenses, manual focus, and exposure settings.

Yaku’s home was now especially empty as Yaku himself was hardly present to notice the lonely silence that had descended over the small downtown apartment. He spent every available moment that he was not at volleyball practice or finishing homework out and about snapping photos of everything he could see through his lense. It took some time to grow accustom to the instrument, but his photos went from unfocused and off center to well composed and thoughtful. At this time his favorite subjects to capture had become close ups of flowers, monotone portraits, and hands.

At twenty-two Yaku’s preferred subject matters had not changed much from when he was a teenager, but the quality of his work had reached a professional level as his hands grew steady with practice and his eye trained with time. After attending a prestigious art institute in the city, he had landed a shitty newspaper job--nothing to write home about--but the warm feeling of validation from seeing his own photos printed in a Tokyo newspaper was all he had ever dreamed of.

During the next four years Yaku slowly climbed the ranks of the professional photography world. Almost overnight it seemed that he found himself landing a prominent job at SEIJOU, Japan’s leading fashion magazine. Yaku had no previous knowledge of the fashion world and found the work to be some of the most taxing he had ever done. Regardless, in the beginning he was still as overjoyed with how his life was going as the day he had graduated college, his passion and determination getting him through unrelentingly long days and sleepless nights. At some point, though, the light in his eyes began to fade. He was still satisfied with his job at SEIJOU, it paid exceptionally well and was incredibly stable, but his motivation continued to dwindle. He took small jobs on the side and continued to shoot for fun, but none of his subjects seemed to excite him anymore. Most of the models he worked with all seemed to blur together and the walks in the park he still took didn’t fill him with the same serenity that they once had.

On his days off, Yaku spent more time than not staring up at the ceiling of his small two bedroom flat. He had no roommate, no partner, and no pets, so there was an odd sense of nostalgia that washed over him as he layed in the silence of his lonely home. He would have completely resigned himself to rot if not for the presence of his good  friend from high school, Kuroo Tetsurou, who regularly dropped by to play video games  or drag the photographer out and about. Sometimes Yaku even photographed Kuroo, mostly in the park near Yaku’s place, but occasionally he would ask to take pictures of the taller man’s hands, still one of his favorite subjects to capture. Kuroo often teased him about having a hand fetish, though it had died down significantly with the decline of Yaku’s mental health. Kuroo was compliant and patient with his friend, offering Yaku whatever would please him.

“Say, Yaku...why don’t you ever ask Kenma to do this?” Kuroo had asked one day. “His hands are slimmer than mine. Smoother. I bet they’d look better.”

Even though Yaku knew this question would eventually come up, he still flushed with embarrassment all the same as he avoided his friend’s lazy gaze. This wasn’t something he had really talked about with anyone before.

“Honestly, I...I prefer… _larger_ hands.” It came out almost as a whisper. With a little more confidence he added, “Long fingers are nice, too. They’re just aesthetically pleasing.”

Kuroo’s grin turned mischievous and Yaku instantly regretted his honesty. From that point forward the subject hadn’t been brought up again. Yaku wasn’t sure if he was terrified or relieved because from then on out Kuroo began to shoot him suggestive smirks whenever they met a man with Yaku’s preferred features at the bar or a party. The scowls Yaku shot back were fierce enough to silence a normal person, but Kuroo was far from normal and found pleasure in Yaku’s irritation.

Slowly, Kuroo found it increasingly difficult to drag Yaku from his apartment. This didn’t stop him from being relentlessly persistent, but it became obvious that Yaku’s friends were growing more worried by the week. Yaku felt guilty but helpless.

“I think,” Kai began thoughtfully one lazy Sunday as he and the boys lounged around Yaku’s living room, “that you need something new in your life. Like--I don’t know--a new hobby or a pet? A new friend, maybe?”

Kuroo hummed absentmindedly for a moment before a wicked grin split his tanned face as he recalled something Yaku had told him about earlier in the week. He shot a glance across to his friend who was already glaring daggers at him. Kuroo couldn’t help but chuckle. From between his legs Kenma ignored the exchange, but from the floor in front of the TV Yamamoto shot to a sitting position, his face lit up with interest at hearing the bedhead’s knowing laughter; he could practically smell the gossip. Yaku’s murderous glare shot to the man as Kuroo began to speak.

“Yaku actually did meet an interesting model the other day,” the black hair man sneered. “He was _just_ telling me about him. Something about a pretty Russian with legs for da--OW!”

Kuroo rubbed the side of his head where Yaku had smacked him with a rolled up magazine. He narrowed his eyes but the grin never disappeared from his victorious face.

“ _Leave it_ ,” Yaku warned, and just like that the discussion was over. Normally it wouldn’t have been a big deal, he would complain to his friends all the time about the clients he met and models he worked with, but there had been something _different_ about the model Kuroo was referring to and at this point he really didn’t want his friends to get the wrong idea.

That night he couldn’t help but replay the events of Tuesday as he attempted to sleep. On that day, Yaku had gone into work on short notice after receiving a call from his boss the night before. It didn’t take long for him to sense that something was very off, (though honestly not an unusual occurrence) but then he began noticing his coworkers sending pitying glances in his direction. He was suddenly uncomfortable. Exiting the elevator on the fifteenth floor he was almost knocked to the ground by his boss’s assistant, but the man caught Yaku by the arm to steady him.

“Sorry!”

“Good morning Iwaizumi-san,” Yaku greeted. Iwaizumi looked more disheveled than the photographer could say he was comfortable with. Yaku offered him an apologetic smile.

“Good morning Yaku. Sorry again,” he mumbled. Releasing Yaku’s arm Iwaizumi stepped aside, holding the elevator doors open as the shorter man stepped through and told him not to worry about it. “Oikawa would like to talk to you in his office. About the job for today.”

Yaku nodded and allowed Iwaizumi to lead him towards the editor’s office. He attempted to keep a calm demeanor, but how could he when the normally level headed assistant was obviously flustered even though the work day had only just begun? Oikawa had sounded stressed on the phone when he called, his voice sickeningly sweet in the way it only was when he was trying to mask his true feelings. Yaku really hoped that they just happened to be worrying about a different project, one that he wouldn’t be bothered with. He really, _really_ hoped.

The door to Oikawa’s office was already wide opened and Iwaizumi excused himself with a nod before rushing off again. Yaku only watched him for a moment before stepping inside; the whole building seemed to be eerily quiet and the editor’s office was no exception. Oikawa sat slumped forward in his chair, elbows on the desk and face resting in his palms as Kindaichi hovered nervously around him. The spiky haired assistant spotted Yaku and a startled squeak escaped him, alerting Oikawa to his visitor. The editor shot up, the fakest smile Yaku had ever seen plastered on the man’s face within seconds. He beamed at his photographer.

“Mori-chaaaan~” Oikawa sang. “How lovely to see you this morning! You look especially handsome today!”

Yaku deadpanned at him. “Cut the shit Oikawa-san. Let’s get to the point.”

His boss gave a grim laugh, but his smile dropped to something a bit more genuine as he motioned for the photographer to take a seat. Yaku complied, dragging one of the plush chairs from the edge of the room to sit directly across from Oikawa at his desk. With a wave of the brunette’s hand, Kindaichi exited the room and closed the doors.

“There really is no buttering you up, Mori-chan! So…” Oikawa flipped open a folder on the desk and placed his palm flat on the papers, his smile completely leaving his face as he dropped the bubbly act. “As you may have guessed, this project isn’t exactly the usual.” Yaku nodded and waited for him to continue. “There is a young male model who was extremely popular about a year ago, but he only worked for a few months before vanishing despite the continued demand for his work. He’s decided to resurface for a small shoot with one of our sister magazines. The thing is…”

Oikawa worried his lower lip between his teeth, his brow scrunching together. Yaku shot him an impatient look and the man sighed.

“The thing about this kid, he’s super popular but also extremely... _difficult_ to work with, based on what we’ve heard.” Yaku raised his eyebrow curiously. “I’m sure you’ve heard about Haiba Lev, twenty one years old, six foot six, half-Russian with porcelain skin. Lovely face and elegant body. Every photographer who has ever worked with him has ended up quitting the project...”

He took a moment to observe Yaku’s expression. The shorter man narrowed his eyes.

“I think I’ve heard of him. But what I don’t understand is what this brat has to do with _me_.”

Oikawa grinned nervously. “He’s already scared off two of their photographers in just the last week and nobody at the company is willing to work with him. So, naturally, they called me!”

“...And you want to offer me up…?”

“Of course! Mori-chan is my best photographer~” the higher Oikawa’s voice went, the darker Yaku’s expression. His boss went silent for a moment before once again dropping into a more serious expression. “I’m not buttering you up when I say that; you really are my _best photographer_. Maybe not the best in terms of skill alone, but you’re the full package considering everything a photographer needs to be, and especially when it comes to dealing with difficult models.” Oikawa sighed. “A lot of my other workers lack that. I wouldn’t have called you in if I didn’t think you were capable of taking on this job, and it’s not as though we desperately need to keep up appearances with this... _specific_ magazine. You have a choice with this one.”

Yaku took a moment to size him up before glancing down at the file still under Oikawa’s hand. He reached out and took it, flipping through the pages; it was all text, this model’s statistics and a list of all of the photographers who had previously worked with him (seven total over the span of his first two months of activity) including their testimonies regarding the encounter. Yaku scanned the list and skimmed the reviews, his eyes slowly growing larger as he passed easily recognizable names.

“Pretty impressive, don’t you think?” Oikawa asked nervously, twiddling his thumbs.

Yaku looked up at him.

“Oikawa-san. I’m not really intimidated by this, but I am curious; why do you _want_ me to take this job?” His boss fidgeted, avoiding making eye contact. Yaku spoke more firmly. “ _Oikawa-san_.”

“Well...the sister company may or may not be _Ushiwaka’s_ magazine, Swan...” he admitted sheepishly. The photographer gaped at him.

“You are unbelievable!”

“M-Mori-chan, hear me out-”

“Of all the petty things you’ve asked me to do!”

“Morisuke we can talk about this-”

“How much is it paying?!”

Oikawa stared at him, mouth still open from where he was preparing a defense. He blinked a few times before responding. “Your normal hourly plus one third.”

“ _Plus_ you’re buying me lunch every day next week.” Slapping the binder back down onto the desk, he stood to stare down at his boss. “When do they need me?”

After a moment a laugh escaped Oikawa. “Did you know I love you? If Iwa-chan and I weren’t probably soulmates, I would be waiting for you at the alter, Mori-chan.” Yaku rolled his eyes. “If you could leave now, that would be beautiful.” He stood as well and made his way over to his employee, clapping him on the back. “You’re so confident! There’s no lunch for failures, you know~”

“Then you better be ready for a week of fancy eating, Oikawa-san.”

With a respectful bow Yaku was off back across the floor to the elevators and then down the street towards the subway station. Within ten minutes he was waiting for his train. Within fifteen minutes he was on his way to the sister company. Within another ten minutes he was leaving the station and tearing off towards the Swan building. In less than a minute they were ushering him into the elevators, the magazine editor’s personal assistant by his side. Though they had met several times Yaku could not for the life of him remember this guy’s name; tall, silver hair, was caught pants down at the Christmas party in a spare office with the weird red haired assistant who Yaku hated.

The assistant didn’t say a word when the elevators opened, just power-walked out on his long legs leaving Yaku struggling to keep up. He couldn’t help but notice that all eyes were on him, but it didn’t matter much because suddenly they were at a large pair of glass doors that led to Ushijima Wakatoshi’s office; the assistant pulled one open calling “Ushijima-san, Yaku-san has arrived,” before stepping aside to allow Yaku to enter. Head held high, he strolled through the door and bowed to the man at the desk.

“Good morning Ushijima-san.” Ushijima looked up from his desk and gave Yaku a small nod. “I hope that you and your daughter are well.”

“We are, thank you. And thank you for coming on such short notice. Let’s cut the pleasantries and get straight to business; I’m assuming Oikawa has filled you in on my little predicament.” Yaku nodded. “Good. I have to say, I was surprised when he told me he had a photographer who was willing to finish this project. The photo shoot itself is over today, but none of my people are willing to risk their sanity or standing with my bosses. It is...disappointing, to say the least.”

Yaku nodded in understanding.

“I’m very sorry that this model has been such a bother to you and your staff. I will see that there are no further issues for you, sir.”

Ushijima took a moment to study Yaku before giving a firm nod.

“Semi will escort you to the proper studio and I will send one of the assistants to you momentarily. Please do your best.”

Yaku gave another bow before leaving the room; Semi didn’t wait for him to clear the door frame before releasing the handle and making for the elevator. Once again Yaku found himself struggling to keep up with Semi’s long strides as the tall man quickly explained to him the nature of this particular photo shoot. The elevator ride was over in a blink and the gray haired assistant was ushering Yaku down the hall and into the second room.

“Please wait for your assistant before you go anywhere or touch anything,” he warned. He was gone before Yaku could even turn around to respond. He looked back to the room, a simple studio with a black backdrop hanging near the far wall. They had already set up large bouquets of pink and white waterlily dahlias with a simple wooden stool in the middle. Several of the employees already present glanced at him, most uninterested but some staring at him with a mix of curiosity and pity. He sighed.

“Long day?” Yaku whipped around, finding himself face-to-chest with a new arrival. He looked up and grimaced; of course it’s the red haired assistant. _The specific one that Yaku hates_. “Well, get ready for some more rough sailing, you’re in for a treat!”

The bubbly tone of voice was giving Yaku a headache. He sighed again as moved away from the man, kneeling down on the floor to begin assembling his camera. “So tell me about this guy...Tendou-san, right?”

“Bin~go~!” he cooed as he crouched down next to the photographer. “What’s there to tell? I’m sure you’ve heard it all by now~”

“Yeah, but I wanna hear what he’s done since he’s been here to make your entire team blacklist him.”

Tendou’s carefree expression turned into a dark sneer.

“Ahh...Yaku, you poor bastard.” He huffed. “This is one grade a-spoiled little shit, I tell you what. He’ll complain about literally a~ny~thing. He complained about too many ice cubes in his drink yesterday! Can you believe that! The nerve of kids these days...on top of that, he doesn’t listen to anyone, he wanders away randomly, he touches everything, he _breaks_ everything, he reads your texts over your shoulder, he doesn’t always flush! The toilet, Yaku! He doesn’t flush the toilet!!”

At some point Yaku looked over to find that Tendou had sunk down onto the floor belly-up, one leg raised into the air.

“Tendou-san. _Please_.”

The redhead turned to Yaku, gasping as though he forgot the man was there.

“...You know, the only good thing about this model is his legs. He’s got legs. For. _Daaaaaays_ ~”

He slowly raised his other leg as he drew out the last word, relaxing further onto the floor. Yaku shook his head. He had a feeling that this was going to be a very long day.

“So when is his royal highness supposed to be ready?” the photographer asked as he stood up. Tendou made a show of looking at a wristwatch he didn’t have.

“Mmmmmm...an hour ago?” He rolled up into a sitting position. “I think he only just arrived thirty minutes ago…”

Yaku took a deep breath.

“Take me to him.” Tendou was looking at Yaku as though he had grown wings. “I’m gonna make sure his ass is getting _ready_.”

Tendou stared at him for a long minute. Yaku thought he was going to have to repeat himself, but then the redhead burst out in laughter, drawing the attention of the other staff members. With a lot of unnecessary fidgeting he made it to his feet and made a dramatic motion towards the door.

“Please follow me, Mr. No-Bullshit~”

After placing his camera and bag safely on a table, Yaku followed Tendou out of the room and further down the hall. With every step Yaku could better hear desperate pleading coming from the end of the corridor. Several people were practically begging someone to concentrate and sit down, but a booming voice chattered on and on about something or other. Once they reached the changing room, Yaku didn’t bother knocking; he walked in like he owned the place, chin high and expression serious. The panicked employees took notice of him immediately and their chatter died down. The man they were all hovering around did not.

“...it’s just so pretty there, I couldn’t believe it! Like out of a post card! Snow as far as you could see but it was still spring!!”

Yaku watched the man bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet as a disgruntled assistant attempted to help him into his dress shirt. He noticed several things looking at Lev from behind; he had sleek silver hair, his skin really was like porcelain, he really did have ‘legs for days’, and, from what Yaku could see, he had really nice hands. The photographer cleared his throat but the model continued on as though nothing had changed.

He took a deep breath. “ _Haiba Lev-san?!_ ”

The silver haired man whipped around with frightening speed to fix piercing green eyes on the newcomer. Yaku was slightly disturbed by how _still_ Lev was as he seized him up. After a moment he walked up to the shorter man and Yaku couldn’t help but think _holy fucking shit how is anyone allowed to be this TALL??_ His expression didn’t falter as he stared up into the model’s eyes. Lev grinned.

“You’re travel sized!” he practically cheered. The smile that split Yaku’s face would have been enough to terrify anyone with a few more brain cells. From the doorway he could hear Tendou choke on his laughter. “Are you my new personal assistant?”

“No,” he replied evenly. “I’m your photographer. I’m also wondering why you’re not. Fucking. _Ready_.”

Lev began fidgeting, but by the smile that was still on his face it didn’t seem to be from nerves.

“We’re getting ready!”

Yaku glanced down at the bare torso inches from his face before leaning around the model to look at the flustered woman still holding onto the white dress shirt.

“Why isn’t he dressed yet?”

The poor woman looked as though Yaku has just demanded her kidneys. One of the other employees answered for her. “We couldn’t get him to sit down longer than it took to do makeup! We’ve been trying to keep him in one place, but...”

Yaku straightened back up, looking to find Lev still staring down at him; he was tapping his foot, sending vibrations all the way up to his head, but still hadn’t moved. Yaku stared back.

“...He’s in one place now,” he informed them, eyes not moving from the man looming over him. The group continued to stare at the exchange and Yaku felt his already fragile patience being tested. “ _Someone put a shirt on this kid NOW_.”

It was like a switch had been flipped because the room went from the _pat pat pat_ of Lev’s foot to a flurry of sound, from assistants rummaging through drawers to hovering around the pair checking that everything on the model was still up to standard. The woman with the shirt managed to get Lev’s arms through the sleeves and Yaku waved her off as he broke eye contact to button it up.

Yaku could have sworn he heard Lev’s breath catch.

“You didn’t tell me your name.”

Yaku was silent as he finished the top buttons, only looking back into the model’s eyes when he had finished at his neck, flipping up the collar for when someone arrived with a tie.

“Yaku Morisuke, photographer for SEIJOU fashion magazine.”

Lev’s eyes widened. “SEIJOU? Why would they bring someone from another magazine in?”

There were many thoughts that ran through Yaku’s mind, but he bit his tongue and smiled as pleasantly as he could manage considering the situation. “They thought I would be a better match for your personal quirks. I’m sure we’ll work well together.”

The model’s mouth opened with a ‘ _ohhh_ ’ before his entire face lit up. Yaku tensed as both of Lev’s large hands were clapped down onto his shoulders.

“So you’re just for me then! That’s exciting, isn’t it??”

With a grunt, the photographer forcefully shrugged his shoulders in an attempt to remove Lev’s hands. When that didn’t work, he resorted to smacking his wrists, Lev retreating his limbs with a yelp.

“Why would that be exciting??” Yaku demanded to know. “I’m like any other photographer!”

“Yeah, but you’re so small and cute,” Lev replied without hesitation, staring down at Yaku as though it should be obvious. “You’re the smallest photographer I’ve ever worked with!”

Yaku stepped back on instinct, fully prepared to kick the shit out of this asshole, but he caught himself and decided to scowl at the offending model instead. He noticed two of the assistants hovering beside them, one on either side, a waistcoat in one’s grip and a tie in the other’s. Lev paid them no mind, so Yaku grabbed him by the waist and physically turned him so that the one on the left could slip the tie around his neck. As she carefully tied it, Yaku smacked the model’s arm.

“Bring your damn arms up so they can get this waistcoat on you,” he snapped. Lev had been fixated on the woman’s hands moving under his chin. He looked back over at Yaku with a ‘huh?’ before complying so that the other assistant could finish dressing him. He didn’t really seem to notice much.

“Yaku-san have you ever been to Russia?” Lev was smiling at him, bouncing on his heels again despite the protests of the assistants. Yaku took his place in front of the model once again and grabbed him by the elbows to still him.

“No.”

“I have! I was there for a few months this spring, my family went on a trip to Moscow. I’d never been before but it was so cool! Everyone thinks I know everything about Russia ‘cause that’s where my mom is from but I’ve only been on vacation so-”

“Are we done?” Lev’s mouth snapped shut. Yaku looked around him at the man he assumed was in charge and received a nervous nod. “Walk and talk,” he told the model as he left to return to the appropriate room.

Lev trailed close behind him, talking up a storm about his adventures abroad as many of the assistants followed them, hovering anxiously around Lev as though he would wander off if not blocked from all sides. Yaku was sure that they had a good reason to behave this way. Tendou was waiting outside of the studio door and he shot Yaku a vicious smirk as the party passed him, but the shorter man ignored him and retrieved his camera, Lev still on his heels. Several assistants had hung back looking as though they were protecting the open door. Honestly, though, Yaku didn’t really think the model lived up to his reputation. In terms of having his will and patience worn to the bone, he was completely underwhelmed. Though, he was pretty sure he understood why.

“Haiba-san, let’s continue this conversation at lunch, you need to get your ass on that stool.” He was fiddling with his camera and looked up a few moments later to find Lev was silent but hadn’t moved. He quirked an eyebrow at the model. “What’s up?”

“Do you mean that?”

“Huh?”

“We can talk more at lunch?”

Yaku furrowed his brow with a huff. “Yeah? Or do you have better things to do?"

“No!” Lev’s eyes were wide and he tugged at his fingers, this time nervously. “You really don’t mind talking to me at lunch?”

Yaku shook his head and Lev beamed down at him for the second time that morning. With an “Okay!” louder than it needed to be he practically bounced onto the stool, barely avoiding toppling over. Noises of distress sounded from the employees as they continued to hover around him, just out of the way of Yaku, seemingly prepared for the worst. The photographer couldn’t help but let out a small snort. He took his time checking over the lighting and set up with the crew. Several times, Lev stood and Yaku watched as the assistants tried to get him to sit down again, hovering around him as though he wouldn’t think to push past. The photographer noted that they were doing about everything but touching him, and he couldn’t help but sigh; less than an hour with this guy was all he needed to realize verbal queues didn’t normally get through to the model. He walked over, shooing the assistants away as he grabbed the lanky giant firmly by the hips and backed him into the stool. Lev seemed surprised by the straight-forward action but put up little resistance. He began fiddling with the cuff of his sleeve as he watched Yaku with the same focus he had when they were in the changing room.

The first part of the photo shoot, though relatively painless (save for Tendou’s odd gyrating in the background), was fairly annoying; Lev had trouble taking directions without being physically adjusted and often he slipped off the stool, seemingly forgetting why he was there and attempting to wander off. Yaku found himself yelling at the assistants to physically grab the young man rather than let him escape, and though they acted as if touching the man would have negative consequences they quickly learned to fear the irritable photographer more. In two hours, Lev found himself being smacked upside the head a total of five times for making inconsiderate remarks about the other man’s height and every time Yaku noticed the color draining from the faces of everyone around him, but he couldn’t find it in himself to really care. It did concern him, however, that as more time passed the other employees were looking at him more and more as though he were a demon sent to eat them.

At the end of those first two hours they stopped for lunch, Lev being changed back into his regular clothes and Yaku waiting for him outside the changing room. After a moment of fiddling with his phone, the photographer noticed that Tendou had slid up beside him closer than he would have liked. Yaku took a step to the side and didn’t miss the disgusted sneer on the redhead’s face.

“Are you here to tell me why everyone is looking at me like I’ll eat their first born? Or like I’m about to be taken to my own funeral?”

Tendou snorted. “Did you look into anything about this kid before you agreed to come here?”

Yaku shrugged. “I looked at the list of photographers he’s worked with and read through some of their complaints. Other than that, not really. Why, what did I miss?” He glared up at the assistant. “Don’t tell me I’m smacking around some important guy’s kid.”

The fit of laughter that followed was not a reassuring one.

“Are you fucking serious? Who the hell is this kid?!”

Tendou doubled over in laughter before a swift kick to his side knocked him off center and he barely managed to avoid falling to the floor.

“So vi~o~lent~” Tendou sang as he glared down at Yaku with a dangerous grin. “Haiba-san’s mother was an international supermodel. His father is one of the owners of the company that owns this magazine and yours~! Not to mention, like, half the magazines in Japan...”

The amusement in his voice was more than obvious as Yaku groaned.

“...You’re shitting me. Please tell me this is one of your sick jokes.” He searched Tendou’s face for any sign of dishonesty but only found a face so smug it was all he could do not to punch it. So, he groaned again.

“I will admit, though, part of why everyone is acting strangely might be because nobody has _ever_ gotten Haiba-san to cooperate like you have. You really must be a monster or something.”

“Gee, _thanks_.” Yaku buried his face in his hands with a strained moan.

“Everything okay, Yaku-san?” Lev emerged from the room, hovering over the shorter man as though he may need to catch him. Yaku’s hands fell from his face as he looked up. “You look a little ill. I might be wrong though, you’re so short it’s hard to tell all the way down--”

A kick to the back of the knees had Lev on his knees in an instant, long arms flailing to catch himself so his face wouldn’t hit the tiled floor. Yaku heard the frantic squeaks of several concerned assistants.

“Five points to Yakuuuuuu!” Tendou called enthusiastically.

 _Fuck_ Yaku thought to himself. _Fuck that was too far I can’t just go around kicking people! I have more control than this, he’s just so annoying!_ From the floor, Lev pushed himself back onto his feet, swaying a little. _He’s going to cry to his dad and I’m going to lose my job. My shitty, amazing job._

Lev turned to face him and Yaku was surprised to see his million dollar smile back on his pale face.

“Will you still eat lunch with me, Yaku-san?”

Yaku let out the breath he had been holding. He nodded up at the man and somehow his smile grew brighter. The photographer couldn’t help but furrow his brow. How was this guy even real?

Tendou clapped Yaku on the back a little rougher than what was probably necessary.

“Haiba-san is not to leave the property! There is a buffet down the hall and you’re free to eat anywhere in the building. You’ll be fine on your own, won’t you Yaku?” He was given a nod. “Good! I leave Haiba-san in your hands, so please take care of him~”

With that, Tendou was skipping off down the hall, other employees scrambling to move out of his way in time. Without a word, Yaku began walking farther down the hall in search of food. He had intended to go out for lunch, but he wouldn’t complain about a free meal. Hurried footsteps told him Lev had caught back up with him and the taller man slowed his pace next to Yaku. He could feel those green eyes watching him, but he ignored it.

It was easy enough to find the food and they filled their plates. Yaku allowed Lev to lead them out onto the balcony, and they took their seats away from the few other people who were already enjoying their meals. As they sat, Yaku finally acknowledged the younger man.

“You got somethin’ to say?” he asked as gently as he could manage.

Lev stared at him silently for a few moments before he spoke. “You’re nothing like all the other photographers.”

Yaku shrugged. “If you want to complain, talk to Ushijima-san.”

“Mmmm.” Lev shook his head with a smile. “No, it’s not bad! Some of the other photographers were really mean to me. Some were nice, but they couldn’t really work with me.”

Yaku hummed. “Well...you’re kind of a handful. But I expected someone much worse. You’re just kind of airheaded, I guess? I really don’t understand, honestly, why nobody wants to work with you.”

Lev slumped his shoulders and for the first time he seemed to look smaller as he worried his bottom lip. Yaku reached out halfway over the table.

“Hey you, don’t do that to your lip.”

“Sorry, Yaku-san.” Lev smiled sheepishly, looking off to the side.

Yaku hesitated a moment before bringing his hand back down onto the table. “Wanna talk about it?” He didn’t get a response and after a minute he sighed and prodded the other man’s plate. “At least eat, then.”

He watched Lev wordlessly pick up his utensils to eat and took a moment to admire his hands, long and elegant with smooth, thin fingers, much like the rest of him. _Maybe I can get a picture later._

Letting his mind wander Yaku almost expected that lunch would be spent in silence as he worked on his own plate, but a few minutes passed and Lev tapped on his food with his chopsticks and took a breath.

“You’re really patient with me, Yaku-san.”

“Eh?” He cocked an eyebrow at that, confusion overtaking his face. “Not really? How many times did I hit you? Did you miss me yelling at everyone? Were we in the same room?”

He didn’t expect the bubbly laugh that came from his companion. _Ah,_ he thought, _he has a nice laugh_.

“You’re still here, aren’t you?”

Yaku stared into wide green eyes. This boy had some of the most intense eyes the man had ever seen. He shrugged.

“Well, the day is still young...but like I said, you really aren’t that bad. The people you worked with before, I recognized a lot of the names. Big names. Photographers who think their shit smells like roses. People like that aren’t used to models who aren’t like mindless dolls, you know? You’re young, inexperienced, and obviously have some sort of hyperactivity issue, right?” Lev’s mouth fell open slightly at that. He closed it quickly and gave a small nod. “Thought so. Big name photographers aren’t expecting to work with someone they need to constantly correct. They’d rather blame you then understand you. Tendou-san mentioned your dad is one of the owners of the company and your mother was a model. That’s probably why they’re trying to put you with famous photographers and why everyone’s afraid to touch you. If you talk to your agent about it, they can manage this better and make sure you’re paired with people who aren’t as snooty, people who don’t _mind_ working with you.” Lev nodded enthusiastically at him, looking at Yaku as though he were sharing the secrets of the universe. “Do you ever tell your photographers about your issues? Have you talked to them about ways to help your focus?”

An embarrassed blush dusted his pale cheeks.

“No...I asked a few of them about playing music during the shoots, but they didn’t like my music choice and shot me down. And my dad doesn’t really want anyone to know too much about what’s... _wrong_ with me…”

Yaku could see the model growing more uncomfortable. He let out an annoyed huff and Lev gave him a confused look.

“I don’t really think you can say anything’s ‘wrong’ with you. I know a model who insists that her five shiba inus have to be on set at all times for her to work. This other guy insists that he _has_ to be wearing yellow briefs even though you can’t see them. He forgot the right underwear once and we had to wait an hour for him to go home and change. The most inconvenient thing about you is how late you are, I think. The rest really isn’t that unusual.”

Lev gave a nervous laugh.

“Ahh, I’m glad to hear!” He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “I’m always late though ‘cause I have trouble sleeping, to be honest…”

“Mmmm. Let me guess, you’ve tried everything in the book to sleep better?” He nodded. “Meh. That sucks.”

He went back to eating. Lev followed suit, but from then on he began chatting like he had been when they first met in the changing room. Yaku nodded along and replied when prompted, but he was content to let the excitable model dominate the conversation, relieved that the boy didn’t seem to be dejected in the least.

Lev finished his meal first and Yaku watched as he fiddled with a small beaded bracelet on his left wrist. He watched the elegant fingers roll the beads. Then it registered that the other man wasn’t talking anymore. He looked up to find Lev watching him. The model smiled and presented his wrist.

“This is my fidget object,” he told him. “If I feel like I can’t sit still sometimes it helps me out. I can’t have it on set, though...”

Yaku hummed in acknowledgment as he leaned forward a bit to look at the teal beads. It was just a simple bracelet, but he didn’t want the model to feel like he wasn’t interested, especially after opening up about his admittedly personal issues. The silver haired man may be annoying, but Yaku had to admit that he was at least a nice guy.

Lev picked the conversation back up after that, continuing to talk Yaku’s ear off for the remainder of their lunch hour, but he didn’t really mind. He even found himself grinning at some of the young man’s stories and sharing small ones of his own. They cleaned up and walked back together, ignoring the looks of disbelief as they passed other workers in the hallways. Yaku stayed with him as he was re-dressed and the assistants seemed blown away by how compliant and still Lev was as he continued his conversation with the photographer (he only stopped to wander away once).

Back in the studio Yaku noticed Tendou had slipped back into the room and was glaring at him in disgust from the corner. Ignoring him was easy enough.

The rest of the photo shoot went off without any issues and Yaku spent their breaks with the model, mostly listening to him talk. By the time he was packing up his camera, Ushijima and Semi were standing near the doorway, Tendou chatting it up with the gray-haired assistant. Yaku hefted his bag over his shoulder and made his way to the trio, nodding to Ushijima.

“I’ve heard you’ve done well today, Yaku, and am impressed by what little I’ve seen. I have to say that I’m disappointed that this is the last day for the shoot. We are eager to review your work and I will be sure to inform Oikawa of your performance accordingly.”

“Thank you very much, Ushijima-san. Do you need anything else from me?”

“No. Please leave the cleaning to my staff and you may go at your leisure.”

They exchanged bows and Ushijima was gone, Semi following close on his heels. Tendou gave Yaku one last once-over.

“You really are a demon, Yaku~” he cooed. “Til we meet again, my friend~!”

He watched the assistant slink out the door, relieved that he spent as little time alone with Tendou today as possible.

“Yaku-san?” Yaku turned around to Lev standing right behind him, fidgeting with the bracelet hidden under his sleeve. “Are you leaving?”

He gave a small nod and then smiled up at the model. “Yeah, it’s time to head home. It was nice working with you, though.”

He held out his hand and Lev took it with a grin.

“Thank you for your advice! And your patience! I had a lot of fun.” His eyes darted to the side, his head dipping slightly. “Do you think you’d mind working with me again?”

“Eh? I wouldn’t mind. You’d have to get a hold of my people, though, since I was sent here from off-site.” He reached into a side pocket of his camera bag, pulling out his company card. “Here’s the information for my company. I look forward to working with you again, Haiba-san.”

Lev’s smile could light up a room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY SO I started this a few months ago and only got a few chapters in before...some shit went down. But recently I started writing the KyouHaba story for this universe and it's been eating me that I never got back to this, since it's supposed to be the starting point for the entire AU. So I'm putting this out there to see if there's any demand for something like this...and as a warning, my KyouHaba fics take priority, so updates will be slow. But please tell me what you think, thank you!
> 
> (I don't actually know how the model or photography world works, so let's just roll with my misinformed impression, because honestly I tried researching it but at this point I really don't care if I'm being horrendously inaccurate.)


	2. How many gays can we fit in one room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soon, Yaku was waving goodbye at Lev, surprised to see the younger man look disappointed at having to part ways. Boarding the subway car he still had a warm feeling in his body from the dull but pleasant day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My old beta who helped me with the first chapter isn't coming back, so the beta from The Gambler is filling in. He's not a fan fic dude and is just trying his best as my straight friend attempting to help me with my gay stories, so there may be more mistakes. Feel free to message me about any mistakes over on [Tumblr](http://chibsblog.tumblr.com/), I appreciate it!

Yaku had been on edge since he left the photo shoot that day; he was confident in his abilities as a photographer, but a model with such attention around him really was a big deal to shoot. It wasn’t until his head hit the pillow that night that he actually stopped to think about Lev. He hadn’t really believed everything he had read about the young man, preferring instead to form his own opinions. The kid was an idiot, but he was also surprisingly sweet. Though he came with some problems, the photographer found them kind of endearing, especially the way he could carry a conversation with little input from anyone else.

Yaku was irritated thinking about the way the other photographers had refused to compromise with Lev; his lack of experience was more than apparent, but once you caught his attention he was excellent at following directions. He knew that there must have been very little effort put forth by the photographers and it angered him that these people could thrive in the same industry as himself. Any photographer who couldn’t properly direct even a difficult model should be ashamed, but Yaku knew they didn’t care when they were that well known.

He sighed, running his hands through his short hair. He stared at the dark ceiling and Lev’s hands entered his mind, long and smooth with soft pale skin, not a single scar. The hands of a pampered rich kid, he knew, and he felt ashamed of himself for wanting to hold them so badly. Nothing weird, he just wanted to know how soft they were. Even just to photograph them…

Yaku groaned.  He hadn't even thought about giving him his personal business card. _Hot models don’t give a shit about no-name photographers, anyway_. In the back of his mind he could hear Kuroo’s voice scolding him for his self destructive thoughts, and it made him grin a little to remember there were people who cared enough to not want him thinking that way about himself.

Yaku took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he released. It was then that he remembered something very important and his eyes shot open.

_Oh my god I smacked one of the owner’s kids._

 

* * *

 

The next week passed without incident, but Yaku remained on edge waiting for Oikawa to call him into his office and tell him to get the fuck out. Instead, his boss was cheery and bubbly and it set Iwaizumi at ease which set everyone at ease during a particularly busy season Yaku tried his best not to let on that anything had happened. What he did know was that Ushijima was extremely impressed with his work and so Oikawa didn’t bat an eyelash when Yaku requested some of the nicest restaurants around their building for lunch all through the week. If Yaku was going down, he was going down with filet mignon and lobster in his stomach.

Iwaizumi joined them on their outings, and the photographer was relieved to see the couple getting along so well after they had been fighting for several weeks. He had gone to the restroom one day and had to stop before returning; Iwaizumi had been tenderly kissing the brunette's knuckles as Oikawa giggled at something Yaku hadn’t caught. He hoped that they could stay this way, but remembering his recent spell of anxiety, he feared it would end again thanks to him. He continued to do his best to relieve some of their stress.

Then, the next Monday rolled around and Yaku arrived at work to wide eyed, frantic employees. The receptionist looked at him as though she were between giving him terrible news and throwing up, so he held up his hand to her with a kind smile and proceeded to the elevator. Once he arrived on the appropriate floor he was met with a flurry of employees causing an alarming level of noise as they rushed past in every direction, rustling papers and fabrics and loudly whispering to one another. Iwaizumi had been sitting at his desk with his head in his hands, but upon hearing the ding of the elevator his head whipped up, and if looks could kill Yaku would be dead.

Iwaizumi didn’t bother with a ‘good morning’ as he shot up from his desk and practically dragged Yaku across the floor by the elbow.

“ _I don’t know what the fuck you did but if you don’t fix it I will find out what it feels like to shove my foot so far up someone’s ass that it ruptures their organs_ ,” he seethed.

Yaku couldn’t possibly reply to something like that so he wordlessly allowed himself to be lead to Oikawa’s office doors. Through the glass he could see Oikawa chatting nervously as he stood with a man the photographer had never seen before. Though the man was at least a head shorter than the editor he seemed to look down at Oikawa.

Before Yaku could process any more, Iwaizumi had the door open, shoving him inside. He swayed on his feet a bit as the assistant quickly pulled the door closed then looked up to find both pairs of eyes on him. Piercing green eyes narrowed on the photographer and he swallowed hard before bowing.

“Ah, Mori-chan, good morning~” Oikawa sounded as nervous as he had the day he sent him to Swan. “Haiba-san, this is the photographer from your son’s shoot, Yaku Morisuke. Mori-chan, this is Haiba Katsurou. He’s one of the owners of our company and is Haiba Lev-san’s father.”

Yaku straightened up.

“Good morning. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

Haiba looked Yaku up and down with his intense gaze, taking the photographer in. He scowled and Yaku tensed up.

“Please sit,” Haiba told them both as he took a seat in front of Oikawa’s desk. The two men followed suit, Oikawa in his fancy chair and Yaku in the seat on the opposite end of the desk from Haiba. The photographer didn’t miss the way the editor’s forced smile twitched at the edges of his lips. “I have spoken with Ushijima about the photos that were taken Tuesday before last by you; he seemed very pleased with your work, so I had him send me the results. I will admit I am impressed with what you managed to do with my son. They had two photographers work with him, neither lasting more than one day each, but in the end they only used your work.” Haiba placed his suitcase on the desk and retrieved a magazine from inside, handing it to Oikawa. “They even used one as the cover for this month's issue.”

The editor looked over the cover before flipping the pages in search of the rest of Yaku’s photos.

“Your son is as handsome as I’ve heard, sir! Very photogenic~” Oikawa cooed. He placed the magazine down, sliding it towards Yaku who took it curiously.

Yaku stared down at the cover at a loss for words; Semi had given him a rundown of what they were looking for in terms of pose and composition, and for most of the shoot he focused on what they specifically wanted to see. For the final hour he had decided to take liberties shooting pictures using his own ideas and it was one of these photos that had made it on the cover. From the glossy paper Lev stared up at him through half-lidded eyes, left hand beginning to push his tousled hour out of his face. His tie had been tugged down, shirt messily unbuttoned, and the flowers from the set had been arranged to frame the bottom and sides of the shot around the model.

Yaku felt something deep in his chest that he hadn’t felt in months; he had almost forgotten what excitement felt like, it had been so long. He looked back up without looking at the rest of the photos to find both men watching him. He turned to Haiba.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I came today.” Haiba pushed his glasses further up his nose, still looking displeased with the photographer. “I have ears everywhere and was informed of your conduct that day. Several people have stated that you felt the need to manhandle my son.”

From the corner of his eye Yaku could practically see Oikawa die a little.

“I am not pleased by this. However, I spoke with Lev who was quick to jump to your defense and assure me no harm had come to him. He had nothing but praise for you, surprising considering his current track record in this line of work.” The man’s eyes softened the slightest bit. “Tell me why several famous photographers could not handle my son but you, someone with only a few years of professional experience in this specific industry, coordinated with him so easily?”

Yaku already knew the answer, but he took a moment to think of how to phrase it without expletives.

“I already explained this a little to your son, but I believe that working with such well known photographers was the problem. They were mostly fashion photographers and one thing I’ve learned in the two years I’ve been here is that nobody who’s anybody in this industry is modest.” Haiba raised an eyebrow before Yaku elaborated. “Prominent fashion photographers are almost as obnoxious as prominent fashion designers. They’re used to experienced models who don’t need any extra assistance. Lev-san is...the opposite of that. His issues focusing aren’t really tolerated with other models, so he’s abnormal in this industry. But not really difficult to figure out if you don’t mind being patient.”

Haiba hummed in thought. “And _you_ have this patience?”

Yaku shrugged.

“More than some, I suppose. I have a lot of quirky friends, so your son really wasn’t anything to cry over, sir.”

Haiba looked Yaku over for a long moment before he spoke again.

“Yaku, as I’m sure you are aware my son has lived a sheltered life. His mother and I worry for him; he seems to be in his own world more often than not. Following after his mother into the world of modeling is supposed to be Lev taking his first steps as an independent adult, but I can’t help being concerned, especially since it was not his idea. So, I have a proposition for you.”

Yaku raised an eyebrow at him, stealing a quick glance at Oikawa who looked as curious as he was.

“Your job is in no jeopardy whether you agree or not, so please do not feel pressured. Lev has requested to work for this company, so he will be mostly working here for a while. I want him to spend more time here outside of modeling, helping out with more modest work and ask that you watch over him. Allow Lev to accompany you while you work, taking him wherever you go and teach him what you know about every part of the industry. I know this may seem odd, but I feel it would help him grow.”

Yaku blinked several times at the man before sharing a look with Oikawa.

“Sir, you want me to...babysit your adult son?”

Oikawa made a strangled noise at the remark and looked halfway between combusting and jumping over his desk to strangle Yaku. To everyone’s surprise, Haiba chuckled, the corners of his eyes crinkling as a small smile graced his thin lips.

“That is what it sounds like, isn’t it? I’m sorry, I do realize how unusual this is. My son is a very social person, but it is difficult for him to get himself out there in the world. I’d like to make sure that even if he becomes unhappy with what he is doing now, he’ll at least have the skills to try something else.” Haiba turned to Oikawa. “As I’m sure you’ve gathered, this would mean that my son would be at your disposal, not just as a model. I hope this is not an issue for you.”

The editor was quick to shake his head.

“Not at all! I’m very excited to work with your son, sir. Ah, but it’s up to Mori-chan, in the end?”

They both turned to the photographer, Haiba with his relatively blank expression and Oikawa with an intense look that said ‘ _if you don’t do this I will have Iwa-chan strangle you in the back alley_.’ Yaku’s brow furrowed in thought; it was a simple request, but he had always worked alone. Sure, he was fairly civil--at least for him--the last time he worked with the kid, but his temper was normally much shorter. How would that turn out in the long run? What if Lev had also been having a decent day and was normally way more annoying? What if Yaku got mad enough and accidentally hurt him? What if they were alone in the city and Yaku lost him?

A million scenarios flew through his mind in a matter of seconds, all worse than the last. He bit his tongue. _Okay but what’s the best that could happen?_ he asked himself. _You’d...get a really annoying new friend? He’d fit right in with the rest of them_.

“ _I think that you need something new in your life_ ,” he remembered Kai saying only about a week ago.

With a sigh, Yaku looked Haiba in the eyes.

“Well, it’s worth a shot, right? When does he start?”

With a small grin, Haiba asked Oikawa for a pen and paper and jotted down what Yaku assumed to be Lev’s information, handing it to him.

“Lev will now be working directly under you when he is not doing modeling work. See him as a personal assistant of sorts. You will be setting his schedule.”

“How exciting~” Oikawa cheered. “We will need a little time to fit him in on a shoot, so I suppose he’s all yours for now, Mori-chan.”

Yaku nodded, standing with Haiba, and the two shook hands.

“Keep that,” he told Yaku as he pointed to the magazine. “And please take care of my son. I will be hearing from him daily. I would also like a report on his progress, if you would. Every few weeks or so.”

The two exchanged business cards before goodbyes and with one last nod at the photographer, Haiba Katsurou was gone.

Yaku took a deep breath as he braced himself.

“IWA-CHAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!” Oikawa screamed at the top of his lungs.

Waiting and ready, Iwaizumi popped into the room seemingly instantaneously, his clothes more of a mess than when Yaku had first seen him, a deep scowl set on his face as he eyed his prey.

“What is it?? What did he do?? Tooru--”

“Iwa-chan!! Iwa-chan!!” was all Oikawa could say as he literally flung himself at his partner.

“Tooru, what the fuck?!” Iwaizumi caught the taller man with ease. “You aren’t screaming for an execution, so what the hell happened to make you so fucking happy?”

“Iwa-chan, I am a naturally happy person.”

“Bullshit. Yaku, what’s going on here?”

“We have a new model!!” Oikawa answered for him as he put all of his weight onto a grumbling Iwaizumi. “The one Ushiwaka needed Mori-chan for the other week! He’s fallen in love with Mori-chan and will be working here~”

Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow at Yaku who simply shook his head. Iwaizumi sighed.

“I’m just glad I don’t have to kill you, Yaku. You’re my favorite person here. Nobody back talks Tooru like you do.”

Ignoring Oikawa’s sounds of protest, Yaku wiped a fake tear from his eye.

“Aww, _Hajime_ , I’m touched.”

“Morisuke! Leave!!” Oikawa demanded.

With a chuckle, Yaku did as he was told, not looking back as he made his way to his cubicle. He looked over the magazine in his hands, admiring his own work and trying not to be too critical of Swan’s photo editing choices. Then, he looked over the piece of paper with Lev’s information written on it in small, neat handwriting. He decided that a call should be made sooner rather than later, so he dialed the number and listened to the rings.

It wasn’t long before the call was answered and he heard a cheery “Hello?”

 

* * *

 

One week later, Yaku found himself tapping his foot impatiently at his cubicle. He had come in an hour and a half ago to work in peace before the new addition to the team arrived, but he found it hard to concentrate, his mind wandering without his permission. He had never been important enough to have his own assistant, even though this was a... _special_ situation, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about being responsible for another person. It didn’t make it any easier that this person was an important young model whose father owned part of the company Yaku worked for.

 _This feels like a really weird dream_ he thought. _A really weird, boring dream about my everyday life._

He sighed and ran his fingers through his short, sandy hair as he checked his email for the fifth time in the last thirty minutes. He glanced down at the clock at the bottom of his computer screen and groaned; Lev was supposed to arrive any minute, which meant he would probably be waiting another thirty minutes at least.

Yaku really just wanted to get this over with.

“YAKU,” Iwaizumi shouted from across the floor. “GET YOUR ASS DOWNSTAIRS!”

The photographer stood, his face scrunched in confusion. Well, it shouldn’t be too surprising that Lev can’t possibly be late _all_ the time.

There was a nervous fluttering in Yaku’s stomach and he took a deep breath in hopes of calming his nerves. The trip down to the ground floor took almost no time at all and as the elevator doors opened he was greeted with the sound of shattering glass and individually wrapped candies sliding across the floor. His eyes immediately found the source of the disruption; one Haiba Lev in all of his too-tall glory, hunched awkwardly in an attempt to figure out how to fix his mess. The receptionist was glaring daggers at him.

“ _I’m so sorry!_ ” he repeated as he stepped around, his feet crunching glass and candy with every step. It didn’t seem to occur to him to step _back_ to get out of the mess. “ _How can I help??_ ”

Before the receptionist could snap at him, Yaku was at the scene, taking Lev’s elbow in his hand.

“Woah, there. Stop moving, idiot.”

The model startled, whipping around with wide eyes. His entire demeanor changed upon seeing the photographer. The smile that split his face was absolutely blinding, the mess at his feet completely forgotten.

“Yaku-san! Good morning! I’m so excited to be working with you!!”

Yaku held up his hand to silence the silver haired man.

“First, good morning, Haiba-san. Second,” he pointed down at the broken candy bowl, “what happened here?”

Lev’s smile faltered as he looked back down. Though Yaku didn’t break eye contact, he didn’t miss the way Lev’s hand shot to the bracelet on his left wrist.

“She said I could have some candy, but I guess I was being clumsy.” He let out a shaky laugh. “I’m really sorry…”

Yaku sighed. He had a feeling he would be sighing a lot from now on.

With his hand still clutching Lev’s elbow, he stepped back, guiding the model out of the mess.

“Please be more careful. I don’t want to know what your father will do if you get hurt on my watch.”

At the mention of his father, Lev seemed to deflate a bit more.

“If you didn’t want to have to deal with me, you could have said no…” he grumbled.

Yaku glared at him.

“I’ll do whatever I damn well please, thank you. I know what I agreed to. Now, stop moping and apologize properly to Nami-san.”

Lev blinked at him for a moment before his genuine smile was back. He turned and apologized a final time with a bow. Behind the desk, Nami mumbled something Yaku was certain was not work appropriate, and decided that it was time to leave the woman be. He went to take Lev’s elbow again, but decided against it. They had plenty of time to spare, so Yaku decided following the model around as he explored wouldn’t be a problem. He took him through the floors that they would be using and explained whatever he needed as they passed by the various rooms and rows of cubicles.

Lev’s eyes were wide as he took it all in with what Yaku decided was far too much excitement, but he continued to humor the younger man, following along without a complaint, listening to Lev chatter on endlessly.

Before Yaku knew it, an entire hour had passed and Lev had cheerfully greeted what Yaku assumed to be at least one third of their coworkers. It wasn’t until a familiar ringtone blared from his cell phone that he realized what time it was.

“Hello, Oikawa-san,” he answered.

Lev didn’t seem to notice as he chatted away with Inuoka, one of the assistants.

“ _Mori-chan, Iwa-chan sent you to collect that boy over an hour ago! Do I need to send a search party, or do I need to report a murder_ already _?_ ”

Yaku huffed. “It’s fine, sir. I’ve been showing him around the building. He’s wanted to say hi to just about everyone we come across.”

“ _Ahhh!_ ” Oikawa sighed with relief. “ _Good, good. I was afraid you had finally lost it! Just make sure you bring him up soon. He is still my new employee, after all._ ”

“Understood. I’ll wrap it up soon.”

Yaku hung up just in time to see Inuoka and Lev exchanging contact information. He couldn’t help the small curve at the side of his mouth, happy to see Lev getting along with his new coworkers.

Surprisingly, the rest of the day went on without any issues, Oikawa greeting the model warmly and giving him the rundown of the company. The editor took the two out to lunch with Iwaizumi, and if the couple noticed the way Lev fidgeted excessively in his seat, they didn’t mention it.

After lunch, Yaku went back to photo editing, attempting to explain the editing software to Lev who seemed to have very limited knowledge of both art and technology, but he made an honest effort to understand regardless. Without anything going on, the day was boring and Yaku was grateful to have Lev’s endless stream of chatter to help move time forward.

Soon, Yaku was waving goodbye at Lev, surprised to see the younger man look disappointed at having to part ways. Boarding the subway car he still had a warm feeling in his body from the dull but pleasant day.

By the time Yaku stepped out of the compartment, that warm feeling had subsided. The five minute trek to his apartment felt endless and once the door to his home was open, he caught himself staring into the darkness longer than was probably normal. As he closed the door and struggled to kick off his shoes, he wondered if the day hadn’t all been a figment of his imagination, it all felt just too far away. _Could I really have been happy this morning?_

As he shuffled through his living room, the orange medication bottle sitting out on the coffee table caught his eye, but he made no attempt to grab it as he continued down the hall and into his bedroom to plop down on his bed. He laid there for a long time, not thinking about anything in particular as dread accumulated in his gut.

 

* * *

 

“Yaku-saaaaaaaaaaaaan~” Yaku didn’t have time to respond as two long arms closed around him from behind, lifting him off the ground. “Good morning!! It’s a beautiful day!! Did you get smaller?!”

A karate chop over his head was enough to make the model drop him.

“OW! Yaku-saaaaaaaaaaaaaan…!”

“ _Lev_ , you idiot,” Yaku practically roared at him. “ _Be more respectful of your elders!!_ ”

Lev whimpered. “I can’t help it. Yaku-san is so little and cute--AGHHH!!”

“Yaku, release that poor kid’s ear before you get all of us into deep shit,” Iwaizumi warned as he passed by with Oikawa’s morning coffee. “And what’s with this ‘elders’ crap, you’re only twenty five…”

“But I’ll be twenty six here soon.” The photographer feigned a look of horror.

Iwaizumi, twenty eight as of two days ago, was not impressed, flipping Yaku the bird as he disappeared into Oikawa’s office.

“When’s your birthday, Yaku-san?” Suddenly, Lev was leaning down into Yaku’s personal space, eyes sparkling as they usually did when he asked the photographer questions about himself. “I’ll be twenty one on October thirtieth~”

“...August eighth,” he answered after a moment before jabbing the taller man in the stomach. “And you’ve been here too long to not be aware of my personal bubble, Lev!”

“Sorry, Yaku-san,” he whimpered. It only took a moment for him to brighten back up. “Hey! So I was wondering…”

Yaku watched the taller man fidget with the  beads around his left wrist before looking up into his emerald eyes.

“It's been a few weeks since we've partnered up. I thought maybe…maybe we could get to know each other outside of work?”

Yaku observed his assistant silently as he spoke, watching his face flush just slightly, as it normally did when Lev was trying to be more friendly with him; from the beginning the model had been overly fond of him, though Yaku did his best not to notice.

“I know it's short notice, but maybe...if you're free tonight…”

“I'm busy tonight,” he replied quicker than he had intended to, but he was just as quick to recover. “We're celebrating Iwaizumi’s birthday tonight since tomorrow is a half day. You should come.”

“Okay!” Lev’s smile was blinding. “Would that really be okay, though? I know I'm new and you all are kinda close already…”

Yaku jabbed Lev’s stomach in a playful manner before he could begin to ramble.

“It's fine, stupid.” He glanced past his assistant into the editor's office where Iwaizumi was laughing at something that had Oikawa pulling at his own hair before smiling back up at Lev. “They like you just fine, you know. You may be new, but you definitely make your presence known! And, I suppose I wouldn't mind hanging out outside of work…”

He grumbled the last part, but Lev caught every word, and he spent the rest of the work day practically bouncing off the walls. Yaku, on a number of occasions, was tempted to tie him down just to keep him from wandering off. He seemed to get that urge a lot.

As he figured, Iwaizumi had no complaints about the new addition tagging along.

All day Yaku’s phone had buzzed excitedly from the event chat; he didn't pay attention to most of the conversation, but he did gather that everyone seemed excited to have Lev tagging along, though for what reason he wasn't sure. Several suggestive eyebrow waggles from Oikawa later and Yaku was certain that he'd rather not know.

Once work was through, Lev rambled on about some anime he had been watching as the mismatched pair walked together down the street, but Yaku's mind had wandered away. It had only be two weeks since they had officially began working together, but he already felt like he knew Lev fairly well.

 _It can't come as much of a surprise I suppose,_ he thought. _He's the most open and honest person I've probably ever met._

Despite initial concerns from Yaku, their time together had been a fairly positive experience. Lev came with his quirks but he was friendly and charismatic and always eager to learn, even with his issues focusing. Having a personal assistant was also pretty nice, even if Lev did end up spilling more coffee than any man probably should.

_“...Yaku-san?”_

Yaku’s head snapped up, eyes blinking as he evaluated his surroundings. Iwaizumi and Oikawa were still walking along ahead of them, hands clasped together as Oikawa monopolized Iwaizumi's attention. Yaku looked back to Lev, noticing his furrowed brow.

“Hm? I’m sorry, Lev, I spaced out.”

Yaku was aware of Lev reaching for his bracelet, but did not break eye contact.

“Are you okay, Yaku-san? You look a little...you’re making _that face_.” Yaku scowled reflexively. “Yeah, that!”

He couldn’t help but chuckle.

“That’s just my face. Why do you only care if I look upset when _you’re_ not the cause of it?” he teased, jabbing Lev gently in the side.

Though a busy man, Yaku had still watched Lev closely over the past few weeks, and Lev’s little habits were exceptionally easy to pick up on; he really was an open book. There were only two reasons Lev fiddled with his bracelet; to help himself focus or because he was nervous.

_But why is he nervous…?_

Lev hummed in thought as he stared unblinking down at Yaku.

“I’m sorry, Lev. I didn’t mean to ignore you.” Yaku grinned at him playfully. “You worried I’m thinking of someone else?”

“Well, now I am,” Lev responded immediately, catching Yaku off guard.

Yaku had never seen Lev’s eyes so intense.

“...Wait, Lev, what are you--”

“Mori-chaaaaaaan, hurry up~!” Oikawa called from the door of the building.

Yaku hurried to look away from Lev, instead focusing on his boss who was waving at them with too much enthusiasm for someone who had arrived _with_ them.

“You can flirt on your own--OW! Iwa-chan, you would strike your beautiful boyfriend?!”

“Sorry, babe, thought I saw a spider.”

Oikawa scoffed at Iwaizumi. Lev let out a laugh.

“Oh!” When Yaku’s attention was drawn back to Lev, there was no longer the same intensity in his eyes as he smiled. “Yaku-san, were you saying something?”

“...Forget it. C’mon.”

Yaku grabbed Lev’s wrist, dragging him into the establishment and down the halls as an employee showed the group to their private room at the back of the building.

Yaku couldn’t help but grin. _They remember us_ he mused.

The men took their seats around a low table, Iwaizumi and Oikawa to one side, Yaku and Lev to the other. Yaku expected Lev to stick to him, understandable as he would be the odd man out and Yaku was familiar to him, but the knowing smile that Oikawa gave him was bordering on dangerous. Worse of all, Yaku didn’t even know what Oikawa was in the know _about_.

Like any mature adult would, Yaku glared back.

Their staring contest was cut short by someone Yaku recognized but couldn't quite name. Luckily, Oikawa introduced him as Sugawara Koushi. His smile was bright as he entered the room, though he stopped when his eyes fell onto Lev. After sitting down next to Oikawa, Sugawara smiles at the youngest among them.

"I didn't think I'd be seeing you here!"

"You, either," Lev admits, eyebrows raised. "You're friends with Oikawa-san and Iwaizumi-san? Oh...I thought you'd left already?"

Sugawara shakes his head. "I'm leaving tomorrow. You won't get into any trouble while I'm gone, will you?"

Expression completely serious, Lev shook his head. Laughing, Sugawara turned his attention back to Oikawa and Iwaizumi.

Yaku looked up at his companion curiously. "How do you know that guy?"

"He's my manager," Lev replied simply. "For modeling and stuff. I didn't know he new Oikawa-san, but I guess it makes sense..."

With a thoughtful him, Yaku couldn't help but nod in agreement. "Tokyo is big, but this industry is kind of a small world. You're bound to run into just about everyone eventually."

A noticeable crease forms on Lev's brow as he seems to consider the remark. He doesn't mention what's on his mind, so Yaku doesn't ask. It's not really his place. 

A decent distraction comes when Taketora Yamamoto and Terushima Yuuji, each with an arm slung around the other, barged in as though they _were_ the party. They stumbled to their seats next to Lev, Terushima shaking his hand as Tora attempted to scowl over Terushima’s shoulder; one foul look from Yaku was enough to straighten Tora out.

Drinks had just began making their way around the table when Kindaichi Yuutarou arrived, apologizing profusely for his tardiness and the absence of his good friend Kunimi. Iwaizumi waved him off, but was cut off by the arrival of Hanamaki Takahiro. He was dragging along a tall man whose face was alarmingly more expressionless than Hanamaki’s own.

“Brought the stripper, Hajime!” Hanamaki announced with a wide grin, causing Iwaizumi to groan.

“I think I’ve seen enough of your boyfriend to last a lifetime, thanks.”

“Don’t kill the fun for the rest of us!” Terushima teased.

Hanamaki introduced Matsukawa Issei to the room and the two were barely seated before Suga was demanding details on the encounter Iwaizumi had mentioned. Oikawa burst into a fit of giggles as his boyfriend's face flushed a dangerous shade.

“Not much to say other than Hajime here _barged_ into my apartment unannounced and caught Mattsun pounding me into the couch.”

Iwaizumi threw a drink coaster at Hanamaki’s head.

“You were in distress when I talked to you _not even_ thirty minutes before that! I told you to call me and let me know how you were but you didn’t and I was worried, you shit!”

Matsukawa bowed his head.

“Once again, I’m sorry you had to see─”

“Don’t even. We’re dropping this,” Iwaizumi insisted, hiding his flushed face behind his hands. “Onto the festivities. That definitely do _not_ involve further discussion about this.”

Oikawa took a quick look around the room with a hum.

“We’ll have only one more late arrival, right Iwa-chan?”

“No Kyou and Yahaba?” Hanamaki’s voice contained the slightest hint of disappointment. “Those two are a riot.”

“Oh, no, they'll be here,” Oikawa assures them. “But they're _always_ late, so I'm not worrying about them.”

“I can't help but be envious of Shigeru. You'd think they'd have slowed down by now, but no.” Terushima sighs wistfully. “He _still_ won't let me in on that, the bastard.”

“Give it up, hun, they're both possessive. You don't want to get bit.”

“Oh, Suga. I so fucking do.”

“C’mon guys,” Yaku interrupted. “We didn’t come here to talk about Yahaba’s shit.  Wait till they get here, at least, so we can watch Kyoutani suffer.”

The room murmured in agreement and Oikawa passed around drinks to the new arrivals. Conversation began around the room; Kindaichi was nervously being interrogated by Tora, Suga was gossipping with Oikawa and Hanamaki as Iwaizumi and Matsukawa watched fondly, and Terushima had gotten Lev to ramble on about his adventures abroad while Yaku listened quietly. He had heard these stories already, but he was amused by how excited Lev was to share them again with a new audience, his eyes bright and excited, betraying his young age.

Yaku had never really realized before just how _young_ Lev was.

He sipped at his drink, not entirely sure what it was as Oikawa had given him, but he didn’t really care.

“Mori~” Terushima cooed at him. “You’re looking awfully tense all of a sudden. I could fix that for you~”

Just then Lev choked on his drink, turning to clear his throat, but Yaku ignored him in favor of smiling viciously at the blond further down from them.

“Not a chance in hell.”

Terushima only laughed.

“I do gotta know, though, Mori…” The blond’s eyes were nothing but mischief as he glanced between Yaku and Lev. “You were ignoring the group chat, which makes me more curious! Is this your booooooyfriend~”

Yaku’s throat burned as he choked on his own drink. Recovering, Lev perked up at the question, his expression serious.

“Not at this current moment,” Lev replied.

Yaku finally regained his composure, glancing up at his assistant.

 _‘Not at this current moment,’_ he replayed in his head. _What the fuck is he saying?_

Terushima barked out another laugh. Yaku glanced around the room, not entirely surprised to see Oikawa watching them from the corner of his eye.

With a smirk, Oikawa looked away.

“What’s your relationship with Yaku-san?”

Yaku could have sworn that Lev’s question sounded more like a demand, but Terushima wasn’t phased as he grinned happily at the model, swirling his drink in one hand.

“Mori hasn’t mentioned me? Unacceptable! I’m an underwear model for the company. I can’t believe Mori hasn’t felt the need to talk about me, even though we’ve worked so closely together…”

Terushima waggled his eyebrows suggestively before downing the rest of his drink. Suddenly, the air in the room felt thick and the chatter of other conversations felt miles away. Yaku turned his eyes up to Lev.

Lev looked as though he were trying his best to murder Terushima with his mind. Once again, Terushima wasn't bothered.

“I've heard a bit about you, kid. But nobody knows the answer to the million dollar question...are you straight?”

Yaku felt a bit dumb for never considering the question before; he assumed everyone he met in real life was straight until proven otherwise. It was just safer that way. And since this was the first time they had really hung out outside of work, the topic had never come up past mentioning they were both single.

“I'm gay,” Lev replies after a moment, hesitant to share.

It seems to be the answer Terushima was looking for because he raises his glass. “Then you'll fit right in here!”

“Yeah, Tora is the only straight guy in the room.” Yaku grins up at Lev. “So don't worry about it.”

Lev blinked down at him tentatively, green eyes curious.

“So, Yaku-san, you're…?”

“Gay,” he admits a little sheepishly. After all this time he still has difficulties saying it out loud, even around people like himself. “So we're in the same boat, it seems.”

Lev seems to shift, going from sitting contentedly to fidgeting endlessly, practically vibrating in his seat. He reached for his drink, but only touched it with the pads of his fingers, moving around the condensation against the glass. His fingers are long, slim, and in the dim tinted light Yaku doesn't want to look away.

There's a commotion at the door, loud arguing signaling the arrival of a certain couple. Yahaba Shigeru and Kyoutani Kentarou push through the doorway, Yahaba shoving past Kyoutani like it's his right.

Yaku finds it impossible to distinguish their play fighting with their real fighting. He wonders if they ever have a real argument to begin with.

“Sorry we're late! Ken forgot to walk the dogs.”

Kyoutani fixes his boyfriend with his signature glare. “Walking the dogs is a team effort, you shit.”

Yahaba hands a small paper bag to Iwaizumi before dragging Kyoutani to sit at the far end of the table.

“It's your responsibility exclusively whenever anything goes wrong.”

Kyoutani allows himself to be pulled down, but his scowl depends. Yaku is pretty sure this is a fake display of displeasure...maybe.

The blond turns his scowl to Yaku.

“Hey, stranger,” Yaku greets. “Lev, this is Kyoutani Kentarou and his boyfriend Yahaba Shigeru. Kyoutani-san supplies the majority of the flowers our company uses for just about everything, so you'll probably see them around.”

Lev looks Kyoutani up and down, from his hair bleached blond on the top, down to his naturally aggressive looking face, to the tattoo on his neck and the ones peeking out from the sleeves of the leather jacket he hasn't taken off yet.

“You don't look like a florist.”

“And you don't look like a genius, but you don't see me sayin’ nothin’.”

Yahaba fixes the blond with a look and he instantly deflates.

Yaku grins up at Lev. “Don't worry, Kyoutani-san can come off as an asshole, but he's actually an asshole who's also pretty cool. You'll like him just fine.”

Kyoutani flips them off, grumbling something under his breath that has Yahaba giggling.

Yahaba strikes up pleasant conversation, asking Lev about his work and how he's doing as an assistant. It doesn't last long before Lev's attention wanders and Yahaba and Kyoutani end up exchanging heated insults, Hanamaki grinning at them like he's won the lottery.

Yaku watches Lev closely, so it doesn't take much to notice him fidgeting nervously, green eyes observing the couples sitting around them.

“Hey.” Yaku elbows him gently. “You okay? Do you need to step out or are there just too many people?”

Lev glances down, mouth pressed into a straight line before he lets out a breath. He gives a shy smile, clearly embarrassed.

“No, it's not that...thank you for taking care of me, Yaku-san. It's just…” He takes another look around, eyes lingering on Iwaizumi and Oikawa who have their hands clasped over the table. “It didn't take long to realize Oikawa-san and Iwaizumi-san are together, but now, with you, and I'm in a room filled with...people like me…” His brow furrowed, looking down into Yaku’s eyes. “I've never been around this many gay people, I don't know how to feel.”

Yaku barks a laugh at that, hiding his face in his hand. He looked back up to see Lev pouting at him.

“Sorry, sorry. I just. I know the feeling, yeah? I didn't come out to anyone until I was in college, not even my best friends.”

“It's okay,” Tora interrupts. “We all knew, dude.”

“Teru-kun, please hit him.”

Terushima complies happily, laughing at Tora’s expression of utter betrayal. Tora abandons his friend to bother Kyoutani instead.

Everyone goes back to their conversations, laughing and playing around and drinking more than they should. Lev stops at his second drink, telling Yaku he doesn't like getting drunk.

It's been awhile since he's let loose, so Yaku decides that if he doesn't have to watch out for Lev, Lev can watch out for him.

By Yaku’s fourth drink, his face is hot and he can't help himself when he touches Lev more than he usually would. Lev seems nervous again, but he makes no move to push Yaku away, so he figures it's alright. He's too busy laughing at Tora’s fifth defeat at arm wrestling by Kyoutani to be worried about much else.

He's forgotten about the final arrival until he's taking up the doorway, dark eyes critically taking in the room.

“Kei-chan!” Oikawa greets warmly, popping up to greet Akaashi Keiji with a kiss to the cheek. “I missed you!”

Akaashi looks him over, face perpetually scrutinizing. “You're already drunk, Tooru. Isn't this Hajime’s night?”

Oikawa scoffs. “Do you know how much dick I've sucked? Enough to do what I'd like, that's how much.”

Akaashi hums, assisting Iwaizumi as he pulls Oikawa back to him. Akaashi greets the room as he makes his way to sit next to Yaku.

“I see you're having a pleasant night as well, Morisuke-kun.”

“Keiji! It's been a while, nice to have you back.”

Akaashi’s thin lips quirk up into a faint smile, his cold eyes softening. He leans down and gives Yaku a chaste kiss to the cheek. When he pulls back, he glances over Yaku’s head, the smile falling from his face.

“I'm sorry, who may you be?”

Yaku turns around and is surprised by the intense look of murder written across Lev's pale face.

“Ahh, Keiji, this is Haiba Lev. He's a new model, but he's following me around as my assistant for a while. Lev, this is Akaashi Keiji, he's also a model, but he's been abroad for a while.”

“I left two years ago.”

“Yeah, but I guess you visited enough for it to not feel _that_ long ago…”

Yaku vaguely hears Terushima mumbling from the other side of Lev before the sound of shattering glass. He whips his head around, surprised to see Lev's hand bleeding over his broken drink glass. Lev looks just as shocked as everyone else.

“Shit! Are you okay?!” Yaku doesn't wait for him to respond. He hoists him up by the elbow, a bit clumsy from the alcohol, and drags him away to the bathroom. “Why would you do that?” He puts Lev's hand under the sink faucet, washing away the blood and hopefully any stray glass. Lev hisses at the feeling, but Yaku doesn't allow the model to pull away. “Hush, it'll be over soon. Hang on a minute.”

Yaku rushed out to grab first aid supplies from the staff, relieved that they had everything he needed. Lev still has his hand obediently under the running water when he gets back. Yaku cleans the wound as gently as he's able before wrapping him up, impressed with how neatly he's able to do it in his current state.

“Were you and Akaashi-san lovers?”

Yaku is startled by the sudden question. He looks up into those intense green eyes and feels smaller than usual.

“Uh...well, we were kind of friends with benefits for a while…then he left to travel.”

Yaku could feel his face heating up; he didn't talk about things like this often, though he knew there was nothing to feel ashamed about.

Lev faltered, the intensity leaving his eyes as he seemed to deflate.

“Are you interested in him, Yaku-san?”

If Yaku weren't red before, he was sure to be now.

“What? N-no! That's none of your business, anyway. Why would you ask something like that?”

Lev leaned against the sink, examining the bandage wrapped around his hand without pulling it away. Yaku hadn't realized he was still gripping it.

“I needed to know. But if you're not, then it's fine.” Lev grinned. “Yaku-san, do you have a thing for hands?”

Yaku pulled away from him like he had been burned.

“Okay, back to the group. I'm not drunk enough yet.”

They returned to the room to find someone had cleaned up the glass, but Yaku apologized profusely for Lev's clumsiness anyway. He really didn't appreciate Terushima’s shit-eating grin, and Yaku downed his next drink in record time so he wouldn't have to think about it.

He really hoped what he thought was happening wasn't fucking happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My current beta had 3 chapters of gay KyouHaba fic to go before he was free, but the fool has taken pity on me. He will never be free of gay romance and smut and has no one to blame but himself.
> 
> We've gotten to the point where what I wrote months ago has run out, so I hope the tone doesn't shift too much in this and further chapters from the first. I'll do my best, because even if this story isn't top priority I do want to see it through. Three more chapters till my other fic is finished and then I can get back to this, but since these chapters are almost twice as long, that's it's own reason for extended waits. Sorry I can't give you a schedule for this!
> 
> Anyway, let me know what you think. Thanks for the encouragement and letting me know that this story is definitely wanted. I love this ship a lot and want to do it some justice!


	3. Take the good days where you can

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “He's not my type, I'm not his type. Simple. Not every gay guy is compatible with every other gay guy.”
> 
> There's a smug grin on the model's face that Yaku wants to smear into the pavement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small warning for mild recreational drug use by a side character.

It wasn't as though Yaku had been _ignoring_ the signs over the last few weeks, it was more like he just couldn't _believe_ things would have happened like this. Now that he knew, he became acutely aware of everything Lev did around him (even more so than usual). In his defense, not many people had shown interest in him romantically or sexually through most of his life; Yaku had always been on the short side, had no unique characteristics past the unusual color of his hair, wasn't necessarily social or inviting, and had always been a bit short-tempered (though he had mellowed out a bit in his adult life). People tended to like him just fine as a person, but he was, overall, just a little below average.

He had imagined that one day he may meet a handsome man who would like him the way he was. A kind man who he could build a steady foundation with, a man who was steady and reliable, mature and experienced.

Haiba Lev was nothing like the fictional man Yaku had fantasized about.

Yaku wouldn't say there was anything wrong with him, just that he wasn't what he would have been looking for. Lev was young, eccentric, naive, and impulsive. Had he ever been in love before? Did he have anything to compare his infatuation with Yaku to? Did he think he was in love or did he know it was just a crush? How would be handle rejection if he hadn't had any dating experience?

Yaku doesn't bother with young men for a reason. Lev may be following him around like a puppy now, but how long would that last?

He really wants to just stop thinking about it.

After the birthday party Lev had seemed…determined, and Yaku had been on edge the entire week following. The model was trying to be inconspicuous, Yaku could tell, but he was failing miserably. Lev really was an open book.

Yaku was also this close to committing murder. His victim; one Oikawa Tooru. His motive; Oikawa needs to stay the fuck in his lane. You'd think Oikawa would have learned to stop meddling in other people's love lives when Kyoutani had threatened him for the exact same thing just a few months ago. He had come back to work whining to Iwaizumi about how Kyoutani had “nearly took my head of, Iwa-chan!” _(“What did you do to the kid this time, Shittykawa?” “I was just trying to talk about-” “Maybe if you weren't trying to set him up with a taken man he wouldn't want to kill you so bad.”)_ For Kyoutani things had worked out in the end, but his situation with Yahaba and Yaku’s situation with Lev couldn't be more different.

If Oikawa didn't stop waggling his eyebrows, Yaku was going to rip them off.

“If you hit him, keep it under the collar and away from the balls.”

Yaku gave Iwaizumi an understanding nod. “Iwaizumi-san, why can't I just date you?”

Iwaizumi takes a moment to think it over.

“I guess,” he sighs, “that I'm _‘in love.’_ Admittedly with an idiot, but I love him all the same.”

He said it mockingly, but anyone with eyes who spent enough time around the couple knew without a doubt that it was true. You could only dream of finding someone to love you the way Oikawa and Iwaizumi loved each other.

Sometimes Yaku wondered if he were even capable of loving someone like that. Over the years feeling strongly about anything had become increasingly difficult.

 

 

> **Kozume Kenma** [2017/06/22, 22:00]  
>  Take your medication  
>  I'll keep texting until you do it
> 
> **Kozume Kenma** [22:05]  
>  I will send someone over there

 

Yaku stares at the messages, his phone seeming entirely too bright in the darkness of his apartment. He can faintly see the white cap of the medication bottle sitting just a few feet away on the coffee table. He thinks about grabbing it. He just needs to sit up and lean forward, it would be extremely easy to do so.

His arms won't move and neither will any part of his body. The phone in his slack hand goes dark and he can't bring himself to wake it back up once it pings with another new message. He watches the notification light blinking and all thoughts leave his head.

_Blink. Blink. Blink._

He doesn't remember what day of the week it is.

_Blink. Blink. Ping! Blink. Blink._

Has he eaten? He doesn't remember if he has or not, but he thinks he probably hasn't.

_Blink. Ping! Blink. Blink. Blink. Ping!_

He should shower, he knows he should, but it's hard to remember why.

_Ping! Ping! Ping! Blink._

Yaku groans as he imagines throwing his phone across the room. Maybe it would shut up if he could smash it against the wall.

His body still won't move.

There's a knock at the door. The sound of a key unlocking the door feels like it's right in his ear but also a faint memory from a dream. When the light is turned on Yaku closes his eyes. There's a sigh from the doorway and it's soon followed by bare feet walking across the carpet towards where he's still laying sideways on the couch.

“Yaku.” Kuroo speaks softly, but it still grates on Yaku’s mind like nails on chalkboard. His face scrunches up with a displeasure he doesn't bother trying to hide. “Have you eaten yet?” Yaku doesn't bother with a reply. Maybe if he ignores him, Kuroo will leave. It's never worked before but the photographer likes to think of himself as an optimist. He hears Kuroo stand and shuffle into the kitchenette. “I'm making food.” Kuroo opens the fridge and sighs. “We need to go to the grocery, bud. I'll be right back with something, okay?”

The door closes softly behind Kuroo, yet the noise makes Yaku want to scream in frustration. The well-insulated apartment goes back to it's eerie silence, and suddenly that also irritates him as well. Yaku’s not sure how long Kuroo has been gone when he finally summons the energy to sit up. He looks around the living room, his normally comfortable home feeling entirely too big and empty.

He considers screaming to relieve some of the frustration.

He can't manage to do much more than cry silently into the nearest throw pillow.

When Kuroo makes it back he doesn't mention Yaku’s puffy red eyes, just divides the takeout between them and turns on the television. Yaku feels like he's woken from a nap; he's groggy and feels exhausted in a way that can't be slept off. He isn't particularly hungry as he picks at his lo mein, but if he doesn't eat at least some of it Kuroo will never leave.

“Why don't you call out tomorrow?”

Yaku opens his mouth to speak but closes it once nothing comes out. He tries several times before he clears his throat and finally finds his voice. “Tomorrow is Friday. I might as well finish the work week.”

“Do you have a project to work on?”

“Well, no-”

“Then stay home. You never take any time for yourself, even when you need it.” Yaku goes quiet again and doesn't take his eyes off of the TV. “Oikawa-kun will understand.”

“I have to look after Lev.”

Kuroo hums for a moment. “He's there when you're there, so if you call out he gets to stay home. I'm sure he'd enjoy having a three day weekend.”

Kuroo leans forward to snatch the medicine bottle off the table. He shakes two tablets out into his palm, placing the bottle back before holding his hand to Yaku.

He's still reluctant to comply with Kuroo’s wishes, but the invisible force that keeps him from moving is no longer weighing his arms down. He swallows down the pills quickly and suddenly it feels silly to not have already completed such a simple action.

Yaku doesn't need to look back at Kuroo to know his eyes are still watching him.

“If I take tomorrow off, will you leave me alone?”

“Me? Stop bothering you?” The Cheshire Cat’s grin has nothing on Kuroo’s. “Now, why would I do something like that?”

Yaku finally turns to scowl at the man sitting next to him. He notices for the first time that Kuroo was dressed in pajama pants and an old t-shirt, clearly ready for bed.

“What time is it?”

Kuroo shrugs with one shoulder. “Your text notification has been blinking since I got here. Why don't you get that?”

Yaku sighs but picks up his phone to check his notifications; one unread message from Kenma, five from Lev, and several new emails. He's alarmed to realize that it's past eleven at night.

He clears the notification from Kenma (a simple text saying that Kuroo was on his way), clears the email notifications once he scans the subject lines and deems them unimportant, and opens up his text thread with Lev.

 

 

> **Haiba Lev** [2017/06/22, 22:11]  
>  Yaku-san!
> 
> **Haiba Lev** [22:14]  
>  I was thinking we should get sushi for lunch tomorrow
> 
> **Haiba Lev** [22:22]  
>  Ooo or we could find a food truck!! Let's do that!  
>  Tomorrow is going to be super nice outside  
>  :D

 

He can practically feel Kuroo attempting to read the messages without getting caught. Yaku elbows him in the ribs.

“Ow…so. When do I get to meet your little boy toy?”

Yaku narrows his eyes at the man.

“Don't call him that, it's so creepy.” When Kuroo continues grinning at him, Yaku lets out a defeated sigh. “I don't fucking know. I'd like to invite him out, but he's got this crush on me or something and I don't want to give him the wrong idea.”

He ignores the way Kuroo's face lights up as though Christmas has come early. He always thinks that maybe he shouldn't give Kuroo so much information, but it wasn't like he had anyone else to talk to. Kuroo was an annoying asshole, but at the end of the day Yaku couldn't deny that he was a good guy and a reliable friend.

“If you invite him to hang out with some friends, that's pretty platonic.”

“I suppose so...I’ll have to think about it.” Yaku types out a quick text to let Oikawa know he won't be at work the next day. “This whole thing is kind of surreal.”

“Can't believe a sexy young man wants your dick?”

Yaku smacks his shoulder. “Stop saying gross shit. He's just a kid who's probably had next to no experience with this kind of thing. I don't want to hurt him.”

“Ever the angel.” Kuroo leans back against the arm rest and causally drops his legs across Yaku’s lap. “You really aren't interested in him?”

“Mmm...it’s not that he isn't attractive, and he's nice enough, but...I don't really know him too well yet. Besides, he's young, impulsive, and experiencing freedom for the first time. I'm not going to be his experimental gay fling.”

Kuroo considers his words, tapping his finger to his chin as he thinks.

“I can't fault you for being cautious. Just hang out with the guy, at least. Who knows what could happen?”

They both know exactly what could happen, and it all ends badly. He appreciates Kuroo’s concern, he really does, but life has already been a task in and of itself without having to worry about his love life. You can't have your heart broken if you don't put yourself out there, right?

Kuroo doesn't push it.

Yaku sends a quick text to Lev before he retires to his bed not long after midnight. He gets a reply almost instantaneously, but can't bring himself to check it. Instead, he tosses and turns under his covers for all of fifteen minutes. The next thing he knows, someone is back in his apartment making use of the kitchen.

He glances at his phone and notices two things: one, it's past eleven in the morning and two, he's got almost twenty new texts. One is from Oikawa giving him a hard time from calling out, one is from Iwaizumi apologizing for his boyfriend and wishing Yaku well, two are from Kenma warning him of Kuroo, one is from Kai telling him he and Kuroo were on the way, and the rest are from Lev.

Yaku opens the text thread with Lev and scans the first few texts, mostly messages of concern asking if he's okay. He locks his phone before he reads everything and turns over under the covers.

Kuroo lets out a laugh from the other room. Yaku isn't sure how much time passes before his bedroom door is slowly pushed open, the light from the living room pouring into the darkness. He lays there motionless, completely by instinct in the hopes that whoever is at the door will go away.

He should really be getting up already.

His body won't move.

The door swings all the way open and he can hear the dull thumps of feet crossing the carpet. The bed dips behind him and there's a warm hand placed on his shoulder.

“I know you're awake, shorty, so rise and shine.”

Kuroo pushes Yaku’s shoulder down onto the bed so that he's face-up, the photographer glaring at him.

“I should really call the police.”

“There might not be enough brunch to go around…”

Yaku smacks his shoulder and Kuroo’s only reply is a gentle laugh. The coffee maker beeps from the kitchen, their queue to speed this along. Once Yaku manages to sit up and place his feet on the ground, getting up doesn't seem so difficult anymore. He doesn't bother to change out of his night clothes if Kuroo and Kai are the only people present.

Kuroo drags him down onto the couch, making use of his larger frame and greater strength. Kai shoots them a look when Kuroo demands service, but keeps his mouth closed and complies despite Yaku’s protests.

“Why do you never seem to be at work?” Yaku elbows Kuroo in an attempt to get him to let go. Unsurprisingly it doesn't have any effect. “You're always here bothering me.”

“Ahh, my precious Yakkun. I'll drop anything to be with you.”

“We went to the vet to see Koko on the way here.” Kai begins setting out breakfast on the coffee table with trained hands. “They don't know when she'll be good to go home so he's got to be available all day.”

Yaku looks back to Kuroo with a raised eyebrow. “Is she okay?”

“Yeah, she'll be fine. Kenma just wants be cautious is all. You know how he is with the cats.”

Yaku gives a short nod and turns to the breakfast he's sure Kai singlehandedly prepared. It's nothing fancy, mostly rice and eggs with miso soup that they would have had to bring themselves, and he's grateful that they have.

“Sorry to make you worry about me…”

Kuroo ruffles his short hair with a grin. “We offer you food so that we feel a little less guilty for using your cable.” He turns on the television and immediately types in a channel. “They don't have Real Housewives of Yokohama on Netflix, you know.”

Yaku lets out a heavy sigh but doesn't protest for once.

“What happened to that job, Kai-kun? Weren't you supposed to start this week?”

Kai rubs at the back of his neck. “The job got cancelled, unfortunately.”

“Shit, that sucks. Well, we're doing a shoot out of town in just over a week and if we could use you for anything, I'll let you know.”

“I'd appreciate it. Thank you.”

As they eat Kuroo provides commentary on the show they're watching while Yaku tries not to laugh at him. Kai seems more interested in his phone than the show, but he's never been one for trashy, real-life dramas. It's comfortable to sit with just the two of them and do a whole lot of nothing for a while.

Kai gets up to take the dishes back to the kitchenette, Kuroo grabbing Yaku around the waist before he can stand up and do it himself. Kai gets halfway to the coffee table for more dishes when there's a knock at the door. The men look between themselves, Yaku shrugging to say he has no idea who it could be. There's another enthusiastic knock and Kai decides to answer it.

Yaku isn't expecting Lev to be at the door, his blinding smile putting the afternoon sun to shame.

“Um, is Yaku-san-” Lev glances over Kai’s shoulder and his smile falters. He feels Kuroo squeeze him tighter and he doesn't need to look at him to know the asshole is completely overjoyed.

“Lev, damnit, what're you doing here?” Yaku pushes at Kuroo's face in an attempt to get him off. “I told you to take it easy today.”

Kai steps aide so that Lev can enter the apartment, and Yaku remembers that this will be the second time he's been here. He doesn't remember too much of the first time, though.

“You didn't respond to my texts so I wanted to make sure you were okay.” It's obvious Lev is trying to keep his voice in check. His eyes are back to being sharp and focused, this time on Kuroo.

“Other than an overgrown parasite-” With a swift elbow to the ribs Kuroo finally releases him. Yaku stands just out of arm's reach and is suddenly aware that he's wearing pajama bottoms and a tank top. “-I'm fine. I just needed a long weekend.” He looks around the couch and table noticing that he's forgotten his phone in the bedroom. “Sorry, I left my phone in the bed.”

“Ahh, no, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just come over.”

Yaku catches his wrist before he can fiddle with his bracelet.

“It's fine. I wasn't doing anything.” Lev looks over to Kai and Kuroo but Yaku shakes his head. “This is Kai Nobuyuki and Kuroo Tetsurou. They're friends from high school. Kai is a good guy and Kuroo is garbage, so don't mind him.”

“Yakkun!” Kuroo puts his hand to his chest in mock offense. “I am at least _handsome_ garbage, you twat.”

“Right. He's a twat, too.” Yaku turns back to Lev as though he's the only other person in the room. “What were you wanting to do? Easier to tell me now than me searching for my phone.”

Lev's still looking over Yaku’s shoulder but a firm tug on his wrist gets his attention back. He gives Yaku a one-over, no doubt thinking he's being sly about it.

“If you weren't feeling too bad I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go walking…there's something...I’ve been meaning to ask you first.” Lev's brow furrows. Yaku can practically feel Kuroo vibrating from the couch, no doubt enjoying this chance encounter more than he has any right to. “Yaku-san…I've wanted to ask for a while now...” Lev pauses again and Yaku wants to punch him for doing anything compromising in front of Kuroo. “What’s your Pokemon team?”

Yaku kicks him weakly in the shin. Behind him, he hears Kai chuckle as Kuroo groans in disappointment.

“You made it sound like something serious, you dick!”

“Ahh! But Yaku-san, your Pokemon team is serious! We can't conquer gyms together if we're on different teams!”

“Okay, then what team are you?”

Lev smiles brightly at him, completely forgetting to be upset about the potential threat Kuroo poses. “Instinct.”

_Of course you are._

Kuroo cackles from the couch, drawing Lev's attention, and the model gives him a confused look.

“Valor all the way, kid. We rep red in this house!”

“Awww.” Lev's shoulders slump as his face falls, more devastated than the situation calls for.

Yaku sighs.

“There's a lot of Mystic assholes around here. We can at least knock their gyms around.”

“Really?! Oh. But you have company…”

“We were just leaving.” Kai carries the rest of the dishes to the sink for Yaku to deal with later. “It was nice to meet you. You go by just Lev, right? Yaku told us about you so maybe we can hang out next time.”

Lev's pale face flushes. It's always amazing how easy it can be to brighten his mood. “Yaku-san talks about me?!”

“Of course! He told us all about your nice-”

“OKAY!” Yaku doesn't think he's ever moved so fast, jumping quickly to Kuroo to smother him with a throw pillow. “ _You've overstayed your welcome, you parasite_.”

Kai, being the wonderful person he is, drags Kuroo out of the apartment with an apologetic smile. Yaku isn't sure if he's apologizing for Kuroo or for keeping Yaku from murdering the bed-headed bastard.

Yaku realizes for the second time that he's less than presentable. He apologizes half heartedly (Lev was the one to come over without permission) as he retreats to his bedroom to throw on clothes. Everything Lev owns seems to be designer, straight out of the wardrobe of a rich daddy's boy, and Yaku feels terribly plain in his worn jeans and band t-shirt. Of course Lev is delighted anyway.

“This is the first time I'm really seeing you outside of work...you dress so differently.”

“I dress _comfortably_. Do you have a problem with it?” Yaku teases him as he locks up his apartment. “I don't personally care too much about nice clothes or name brands.”

“It suits you!” Lev looks down at his own v-neck and jeans, pristine and blemish-free as though brand new. “I don't...care that much about brands, either, just…”

Yaku bumps him with his shoulder, his eyes not looking up from his phone as he loads up the game.

“Don't worry, rich brat looks good on you. You'll look even better with a greasy commoner standing next to you, so you're welcome.”

Lev looks like he wants to protest the statement, but when Yaku grins up at him all he does is smile back. The weather is beautiful today as they walk through the park near the apartment. It's filled with gyms and Pokestops and it's easy to get caught up there. They eventually agree to defeat team Mystic together and alternate between who claims the next gym so that all the gyms in the area are dots of yellow and red on their maps.

It's a pretty great afternoon, or it would be if Yaku weren't so tense. He finds himself unable to relax, constantly checking the time and reading into every move Lev makes. Other than being a little clingy the model doesn't make any moves. The stress of feeling guilty for continually making assumptions leaves Yaku exhausted after just a few hours of walking. Lev picks up on the mood change quickly but luckily seems to attribute it to Yaku having actually caught something. He's relieved when Lev insists they call it a day and return to his apartment.

“It sucks that you ended up not feeling well, and right before the weekend, too!” Lev scuffs his foot in the doorway and the way he leans against the frame with the sunlight casting shadows in all the right ways, Yaku is reminded why his family must have thought he'd do well in modeling. Maybe they can do some personal shoots the next time they hang out.

“I'll be fine, I just need to rest.”

“Thanks for going out with me! I mean…! Hanging out, not...yeah…” He pulls at the end of his shirt nervously. It's obvious that there's something he wants to say with the way his eyebrows pinch together, but he smiles down at Yaku instead. “See you Monday, Yaku-san.”

Yaku spends the rest of the evening face down on his couch questioning all of his major life decisions. Lev really is a sweet kid who would do much better projection his affections onto a more suitable romantic candidate.

He doesn't sleep well that night.

 

* * *

 

Yaku is feeling loads better by the beginning of July; Kuroo and Kenma have made sure he takes his medicine, his monthly appointment with his psychiatrist went well, he's not feeling so guilty about Lev, and things at work have been civil.

The four hour train trip to Osaka is the first stressful event all week; Lev can't keep seated after the first hour without Yaku’s assistance, and it seems he has anxiety about being in a train at all (a detail he conveniently kept to himself). Kuroo won't stop sending Snapchats to Yaku and Kai giving them a hard time and telling them to use protection. Yamamoto is upset that he wasn't invited (ignoring the fact that Kai is only going for work) and won't stop texting Yaku about it.

They're on their way to a week long photo shoot starring Terushima, making his comeback after returning to Tokyo from his hometown. The blond has dragged Yahaba along, and though Yaku would normally count that as a positive (Yahaba is generally reliable and responsible) he's not so sure once he gets a text from Kyoutani asking him to watch over his boyfriend. Yahaba does seem agitated, but at least Terushima stays by his side the entire train ride.

The two disappear as soon as they check into the hotel.

Yaku sighs. “If you want to get lost in Osaka, be my guest. Just make sure you keep your travel and food receipts, pay with card, and we'll see about embellishing your expenses for reimbursement.”

“That sounds like dishonestly.” Kai grins down at him, quirking an eyebrow.

“Listen, the guys upstairs are gonna make bank on Teru-kun flaunting around in his underwear. They won't miss six thousand yen so that you can sight-see.”

“Are you sure it's okay?”

“Dude, don't worry about it. Just make sure you're back by ten so you can get to sleep. Now go, shoo.”

Yaku shoves him towards the elevators and Kai easily complies. With a wave, he's gone, and Yaku is left standing in the empty hallway. He pushes the door to his room open and peers inside.

“Lev, are you feeling any better?”

Lev groans from his face-down position on one of the queen sized beds.

“If you're this stressed out then we'll stay in tonight.”

Lev rolls onto his back to pout at him. “But you wanted to explore the city. Don't let me keep you...go with Kai-san…”

“Too late, he's gone.” Yaku leans against the bed, looking over Lev to assess his condition. “It's hard to tell if anything's wrong with you, you're so damn pale.”

“Do you...is that bad…?”

Yaku rolls his eyes. “Shut up, I'm just saying. Is there anything I can get you for now?”

Lev absentmindedly pulls at the belt loops of Yaku’s pants. He continues to pout as he looks up at Yaku through his pale lashes.

“Tea would be nice...”

Yaku can't help but grin at how childish he sounds. “ _Would_ tea be nice?”

“And maybe...oinarisan, too…?”

The photographer muffles a snort. When he stands back up, Lev's fingers tug at the belt loop before falling away.

“Don't look so pathetic, I'll get you your stupid sushi and tea, you giant baby.”

He catches Lev's grin as he's closing the door, leaving the security lock open to keep the door from locking. He passes Shibayama and Sakunami, two of their more reliable new hires, and they exchange pleasantries as they go their respective ways.

The hotel clerk points him in the direction of a small food stall a few blocks away that would have everything he's looking for and he sets out through the afternoon crowd. It's an unnecessarily hot day, but Yaku doesn't mind the heat at all; his main issue is the bodies that knock into him, uninterested in making way for him to pass.

The food stall is a quaint little fixture against an old bath house just off the main road. It's manned by a tiny old woman missing most of her teeth and her handsome grandson who looks just a few years younger than Yaku. They chat while the grandmother gets Yaku’s order ready and the photographer leaves with a smile.

He's still grinning when he pushes the door to his room open with his hip. Lev straightens in bed (now in the one closer to the window) with a smile on his face. His expression changes, and he looks Yaku over with a raised eyebrow.

“What're you so happy about?”

Yaku puts the bag of food next to Lev on the bed and takes his own seat on the edge.

“Nothing, really. It's a nice day and the guy who served me was cute. What, I'm not allowed to be in a good mood?”

Lev can't hide his pout, this time genuine, as he rummaged through the bag.

“Jealousy isn't a cute trait.”

When Lev begins sputtering about how he isn't jealous, Yaku can only roll his eyes. It's the first time he's ever seen Lev's face turn completely red, and it's a good look on the shameless idiot. Yaku pushes his hands away from the bag and pulls out containers himself, in no mood for Lev's useless moping.

“Here's your sushi. I got a variety.” He sets the container down next to the model along with a carton of tea from the vending machine. “Now eat up and stop pouting. We've got a long couple of days ahead of us. Terushima is a handful and he's only one part of this project.”

Once he pops the top off of his food, Lev seems to forget what he was just upset over. He eats his deep-fried sushi with his bare hands like the toddler he is, a wide grin across his face.

“Terushima-san seems upset, right?”

Admittedly, Yaku is surprised that Lev had picked up on Terushima’s change in demeanor after only previously meeting him the one time.

“Yeah...I dunno what's wrong exactly, but Kyoutani mentioned some guy recently so I guess he got shut down. Yahaba's probably one of the only people who knows, but that guy keeps secrets on lockdown.”

Lev seems lost in thought for a while as Yaku gets situated in his own bed to pick at his stir fry. He's startled when Lev speaks up again completely out of the blue. He chatters away about the following week and how excited he is to finally be helping with a real shoot after an entire month of little “real work” for either of them to do. They go between watching television and Lev talking about this or that until he finally goes silent, falling asleep still sitting upright against the headboard of the bed. He must have been beyond exhausted to have fallen asleep before midnight so easily.

Yaku shakes his head as he cleans up. He takes his medication (so that Kenma will stop pestering him) and does what he can to pull Lev down so that he can adjust properly in the bed, though his legs easily clear the edge.

He makes a metal note to ask if they'd be able to move into a room with a king bed instead.

Falling asleep in a hotel room had always been difficult for Yaku, but Lev's soft snoring from a few feet away are oddly comforting against the hum of the ice machines a few doors down.

When he wakes up the next morning his neck is stiff and his back aches but he's at least gotten a full night's sleep. Lev is already wide awake, bouncing his leg restlessly at the edge of his bed. He perks up when Yaku finally sits up to stretch his sore muscles, but waits patiently for the photographer to finish his morning routine.

They shuffle down to breakfast together and it's a relief to see Terushima chipper and refreshed and _not_ missing (he had a bad habit of turning up at the last second). Next to him Yahaba looks one rude comment away from committing murder. Apparently, he'd recently lost his job after his ex girlfriend leaked photos of him and Kyoutani. He's not exactly sure of the details, but he feels for him.

Yahaba keeps Terushima with the rest of their party and it feels odd arriving to a photo shoot _with_ Terushima instead of restlessly waiting for him to turn up. It's so out of the ordinary that he's not even remotely surprised that both of the other models are completely missing.

Lev can't bring himself to look directly at Terushima once he sheds his robe, and it's oddly adorable. The blond must think so, too, because he keeps bumping into Lev in an attempt to get his attention until Yaku threatens to shove a foot up his ass.

Yaku worries that Lev might wander off and cause trouble, but he's oddly focused and attentive. The bean pole taps away at his thigh with one earbud in and follows direction almost exactly. When there's little for him to do, he keeps Yahaba company if Terushima is busy. The brunette is polite enough to let Lev ramble on about some series he found on YouTube and whatever else pops into his mind. They both seem to have an intense love of cats and end up scrolling through the pictures and videos Yahaba has of his ragdoll cat.

With Lev preoccupied Yaku doesn't have much to worry about and it's a nice feeling.

They're done by three in the afternoon, just about everyone gross and sweaty from being outside in the heat, high on top of a damn building of all places. (Who really needs to put a garden _that_ high up?)

Somehow Lev, Yaku, Yahaba, Terushima, and Kai all end up at the same ice cream shop down the street from the hotel and they chat away in the far corner. Yaku isn't sure how to feel about the predatory way Terushima grins at Lev, but the boy in question seems oblivious enough so he'll let it slide. _For now._

By the time they've showered and changed into clean, more comfortable clothes the sun is already setting on the horizon. Lev and Yaku hang around until it's dark out and the model is too antsy to sit around any longer. They take a detour to Terushima’s suite and Yaku regrets it the instant they get to the door. He knocks anyway.

“What smells like...burning rubber?”

Oh, how innocent.

Terushima throws the door open with a flourish wearing something that barely constitutes underwear with how little it covers. The smell of weed punches the newcomers in the face and Lev backs away both from the unfamiliar stench and the man in front of them being so exposed.

Behind Terushima they can see Yahaba sprawled on the bed wearing not much more than his host is. There's torn-open packages and various different types of underwear strewn about, no doubt the samples gifted to the model for participating in this week's shoot.

He hopes Oikawa doesn't blame him for his ‘kouhai’’s current state.

“Does Kyoutani-san know what you two are doing?”

The blond blows a raspberry in the air. “Kentarou doesn't _own_ Shigeru. He's a grown man, he does what he wants.” Terushima looks back over his shoulder grinning. “He's not smoking, tough, just drinking.”

Yaku huffs, already irritated by the strong smell alone. “Just make sure that he doesn't get in trouble for your bullshit. And if you idiots leave the hotel...just tell me, please?”

“Aww.” Terushima cups Yaku’s face, squishing his cheeks together. “Mori, do you care about me?”

“Of course not. Kyoutani-san will murder me if anything happens to Yahaba-san.”

“Oh, Mori. You're so cute. If only you were a little bigger, then I'd probably be interested. Then again, height has nothing to do with the size of your-”

“GOODBYE.” Yaku shoves him away before the blond can finish his train of thought. He grabs a very conflicted looking Lev by the elbow and drags him back to the elevator. The ride to the first floor is filled with an awkward silence, Lev still looking uncomfortable as he chews on his bottom lip. Yaku reaches up to stop him without much thought. “Don't do that.”

“Sorry. It's a habit.”

“That's why I'm here to stop you.” The air outside the hotel is still warm despite the darkness, but they're both dressed comfortably in tank tops and shorts. “Hey, I'm sorry about Teru-kun. He's, uh, not for everybody, I guess.”

“That's accurate...but these are things I need to get over, right? As part of growing up.”

Yaku looks up at him with a raised eyebrow. “No? Part of growing up is doing necessary things that you may be uncomfortable with, like going to the doctor or dealing with dead shit your cat brings home. And yeah, you'll have to deal with people who make you uncomfortable if you work with them, but there's a limit and in your free time you shouldn't do anything you don't want to do just to play nice. If you don't like Teru-kun, that's okay. You don't have to get over anything he does and when we aren't working, you don't have to be around him more than you want to be. That goes for anyone, really.”

Lev purses his lips. The fingers of his left hand find Yaku’s back belt loop and he allows himself to be led along.

“I like Terushima-san, just not all the time, I guess…”

“Then the next time he makes you uncomfortable you should talk to him. He's obnoxious, but he's a nice guy. Just doesn't stop until you say stop.”

The model hums his understanding before speaking again. “Yaku-san, can I ask you a personal question?”

Yaku glances back at him. “Huh? Well, I guess you can.”

“Were you ever involved with Terushima-san?”

Yaku stops in his tracks to whip around, Lev's fingers being torn away from the belt loop.

“The fuck would make you think that?!”

A shrug is all the response he gets.

“No!”

“Why not?”

“He's not my type, I'm not his type. Simple. Not every gay guy is compatible with every other gay guy.”

There's a smug grin on the model's face that Yaku wants to smear into the pavement.

“What's your type, then?”

Lev takes off ahead of him and Yaku has to hurry to keep up with his long legs. His insanely, ridiculously long fucking legs.

_How big is his mom to make a cell phone tower like Lev?_

“I don't do the whole ‘type’ thing. You could hit it off with so many different kinds of people that having a type seems excessive to me. Pisses Kuroo off when he's trying to set me up, though.”

Lev falls into step next to him making sure to keep up with Yaku’s slower pace.

“Is he trying to set you up a lot?”

“Eh, not so much lately. He's probably realized it's useless. I don't blame him, though, it's been about four years since my last real relationship.”

“Four?!”

Yaku shoots him a glare. “Is there something wrong with that? What about you?”

“Ah, no! Nothing wrong with it!” Yaku thinks that Lev may be blushing, but it's hard to tell in the artificial light they periodically pass through. “I'm just surprised is all. For me, it's been about...a year now?”

“Oh? What happened with him?”

“Um...another time, okay?”

They leave it at that as they turn into a park with a play area just a few blocks from the hotel. Lev takes a seat at the swings, stretching his legs out in front of him. He refuses to meet Yaku’s eyes.

“Hey, Lev. There's something dumb I wanna do.” Lev's face scrunches in confusion as he looks up. “Feet here.” Yaku turns the adjacent swing to face Lev and waits for him to turn as well, carefully bringing his legs up to rest his calves on the empty seat. The photographer climbs up onto his legs gingerly, sitting on his calves so that he's facing Lev. With Yaku’s legs resting over his, it's interesting to see the difference in length. “Yesssss.”

Lev is squinting at him like he's not quite sure what to make of the situation. After Yaku grins like an over excited child Lev finally bursts into laughter.

“You're right...this is dumb!”

Lev's laugh is just as loud and obnoxious as he is. It suits him.

They spend the rest of the night on their phones looting Pokestops and hunting down a pikachu that Lev is determined to find. Lev gets them hopelessly lost, but insists they find their way back using only the Pokemon Go map, which just gets them even more lost. He reluctantly allows Yaku to lead them back with a smug grin. The photographer puts in a request for a room change with a lethargic looking receptionist, and he's pleased to learn that she can have them move immediately. He thanks her profusely before leading a confused Lev back upstairs to gather their luggage (which had gone mostly untouched). The model's eyes go wide when they step into the new room.

“Yaku-san, there's only one bed.”

Yaku drops his bags by the door before digging out his night clothes. “It's a California king so there's plenty of space for both of us. And your lanky ass won't be spilling over the edge of the bed, so you're welcome.”

Lev makes a strangled sound. “Yaku-san, is it really okay to share a bed if we aren't dating yet?”

Dating _yet?_ Presumptuous bastard…

“Lev, if it makes you uncomfortable, we'll switch back to the two queens.”

Yaku changes his clothes quickly. He finally looks back to Lev who stands in the exact same spot staring at the bed as though it were an important life decision.

“It's no problem to go back, Lev. I don't want to make you uncomfortable.”

Lev takes a deep breath before pulling his shirt off over his head. “It's okay, Yaku-san. Thank you for thinking of me.”

He finishes changing into his pajama bottoms and Yaku learns two things; one, Lev sleeps in just bottoms and two, Lev wears briefs. He's not sure why but it always feels weird to know what kind of underwear his friends prefer.

He'll admit that it's also a little weird sleeping next to the handsome young man who is infatuated with him, but Lev fits properly in this bed so it's a sacrifice he's willing to make.

The second day of the shoot is long and exhausting with Terushima stumbling in at the last minute and every technical issue imaginable happening at roughly the same time. They don't start until the afternoon and by the time they leave the sun is down and Yaku wants nothing more than to sleep forever.

The final day of the shoot is short, painless, and in an air-conditioned building. Lev finally tells Terushima that he's making him uncomfortable with his mostly naked flaunting, and they end up bonding over their shared enjoyment of K-pop and the geisha tattoo inked down the blond’s right thigh. The last photograph is captured and Yaku drags Lev away almost immediately. They hurry out of the building and down the street with Lev gripping tightly onto the back of Yaku’s t-shirt.

“Yaku-san, what's the rush?”

“Gotta catch the sunset today!”

If Lev wants to argue, he keeps it to himself. They're only a ten minute walk away from the Yodo River but once they reach it they continue on, Yaku frantically searching for a proper location. They come across a park on the water and their search finally ends.

The sun still has at least an hour until it sets. Lev locates a shaved ice vendor and they sit under a tree to eat.

“What do you think of underwear modeling? Think you'd try it?”

Lev's face scrunches at the thought. “ _Hell_ no, I could never do something like that!”

“What's wrong with it?” Yaku grins at him.

“I couldn't be that… _exposed_ in front of all those people…” He narrowly saves his shaved ice from falling down his arm. “It's weird enough having everyone looking at me _with_ all my clothes on. I don't know how Terushima-san does it.”

Yaku sets aide his garbage and begins re-assembling his camera. “It was his big break when he came to Tokyo. Apparently nobody would take him before he answered an ad for an underwear model, and it just went from there. He hates it, but even today it's all anyone wants him for.”

“Wow.”

“Yup.” Yaku waits for Lev to toss the remainder of his treat with the rest of their garbage. He pushes the model closer to the water's edge. “Alright, you can pose on your own, right?”

“W-what? You should direct me…”

Lev's cheeks flush as he shuffles awkwardly in place.

“This is completely casual. There's no pressure or anything, just act natural.”

“See, you _say_ that…”

Yaku takes the first picture of a flustered Lev, his hair a complete mess, but of course it works on him.

“Stop that!”

The first set of pictures are of Lev trying to hide behind tree branches. Once Yaku finally fixes the guy's hair, he's a little more confident about the whole thing. It's nice, really, just fucking around on the waterfront at sunset in a new city. Before their light is completely gone Yaku hands the camera off to Lev (making damn sure to secure the strap around his neck). He shows him how to focus the lens and steps back to watch him work.

Lev seems to forget he's there, busying himself shooting everything around them; the horizon, the sunset over the water, the trees surrounding them, the few remaining people in the park behind them. It's a first, however, when the camera turns on _him._

“Lev…?”

Lev lowers the camera to hang around his neck as he stares at Yaku with unblinking eyes. He's not sure what to do when Lev takes ahold of him, gently placing him closer to the water and turning him in a calculated manner. It takes a moment to realize that he's being posed.

“What the fuck do you think you're doing?”

“Your turn, Yaku-san. Act natural, or whatever.”

Yaku’s eyes narrow. “Are you getting smart with me?”

“Why, Yaku-san.” Lev bats his eyelashes at him, his smug grin barely visible. “I'm just a stupid rich kid, I couldn't possibly get _smart_ with you.”

“Don't think being cute is gonna save you when I bust my foot off in your ass.” He can't help but smile, taking the heat out of his words. He hears the faint snap of the camera shutter. “Why are you taking pictures of _me?”_

“Because I want to?”

He continues snapping photos, going so far as to kneel down to get a better angle.

“There are better things to take pictures of…”

Lev has the audacity to visibly roll his eyes. Yaku can't really recall the last time anyone wanted to seriously photograph him and the attention is oddly suffocating, even from just one person. He has no idea how anyone can actually model for hours on end in front of a room full of people.

But Lev isn't a room full of people, he's just a single person who doesn't hold the camera straight and has his tongue sticking out while he's concentrating on correcting the focus.

Despite the anxious butterflies in his stomach, Yaku hasn't had this much fun around a camera in months, maybe even years. He's not exactly counting the days.

The sun is almost gone over the horizon, there's a cooling breeze wafting through the trees, and Yaku feels _good._ It's been a while since he was actually this genuinely at ease. He knows it won't last, it never does, but for now that doesn't matter.

Tonight he's got better things to do than worry about tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be out before the new year but shit happened and then I got the flu, which wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't making me pass out so soon after getting home from work for the last two weeks. I have finished The Gambler, though, and in case it wasn't clear they're set in the same universe, TG beginning a few months before AtST does. Everything in the Side A series is in the same universe.
> 
> Anyway, Pokemon Go was something I really wanted to work into TG but the story went too fast to add it in, so I'm glad to include it here.
> 
> Also I've made a [writing blog (@monkwrites)](http://monkwrites.tumblr.com/) since I had no need for one until lately. Now if you'll excuse me I have sleep to get to.
> 
> Edit: I've updated the tags and I just wanted to note that the mentioned angst isn't drama between Lev and Yaku.


	4. There are worse decisions to make

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “If I got a cat, I don't think you'd leave me alone.”
> 
> “I'm okay with that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When writer's block hits, break Oikawa's leg.

By this point, Yaku has nobody to blame but himself. He should _know_ better by now, yet he continues to think _maybe this time will be okay_.

Yaku of fifteen minutes ago was a fool, and current Yaku has to deal with his oversight. He would love to be able to punch himself in the nuts fifteen minutes in the past.

But it isn't the past, it's the present, and Lev’s shriek of horror is enough to split someone's eardrums. Yaku is thankful he hadn't been in the immediate vicinity, rushing to the stairwell in record time to see Oikawa on the floor half a level down shaking broken pieces of metal and plastic out of his pants leg.

“Lev-chan, sweetie, why are you and another supposedly competent employee attempting to hoist a giant box of god knows what up the _fucking stairs?_ ”

There's not much color in Lev's face to begin with, so he's paper-white as he hovers frantically over the man, Inuoka halfway up the stairs behind him not looking much better.

“The fuck is going on here?!” Iwaizumi nudges Yaku out of the doorway to get a better look, eyes widening at the sight of Oikawa. “Tooru!”

His Good Boyfriend instincts kick in and Iwaizumi shoves everyone aside as he practically bolts down the stairs to kneel next to the editor.

“It was awful, Iwa-chan! Lev-chan made an attempt on my life, but instead broke my leg!”

Iwaizumi scoops him up before Oikawa can get into too many theatrics, the remaining bits of  his shattered right leg falling to the ground, his pants leg now mostly empty. The editor happily loops his arms around the other's neck; he seems to be enjoying the attention more than he is angry at the situation, but Iwaizumi turns a furious glare on Lev.

“The _fuck_ were you doing hauling a heavy-ass box up the fucking stairs?! That's dangerous!”

Lev has the common sense to fear for his life in the face of Iwaizumi's rage. “I-I...Yaku-san said...paper...but the elevators…!”

Yaku rubs at his temples with a sigh. “The elevators are out of order, so you thought that instead of making multiple trips, you and Inuoka-san could get it all up in one go…”

Lev gives a short nod of confirmation which does nothing to pacify Iwaizumi.

“Now, now, Iwa-chan, he's just a baby. And he only broke _one_ of my legs.”

Oikawa pouts pathetically in Iwaizumi's arms. It's so exaggerated that Yaku hopes Iwaizumi just drops him, but sadly the man is too kind for his own good.

“If you do something stupid like this again, I'm throwing you down the stairs myself. Clean this shit up.”

“Y-yes, Iwaizumi-san!”

It's impressive to watch Iwaizumi carry Oikawa up a half-flight of stairs like it's nothing. Yaku moves out of their way with a quick apology before turning back to the troublemakers.

“Get me a broom and dustpan, Inuoka-san.” The young man hesitates, looking between Lev and Yaku, but with a nod he does as he's told. Once Yaku is sure they're alone, he lets out a sigh. “Lev, what fuck? You can't do stupid shit like this.”

Lev's quiet for a moment, still staring down at the pile of broken leg pieces.

“Yaku-san...Oikawa-san’s leg…”

It takes him a minute to understand what Lev is referring to before finally remembering that the boy knows next to nothing about their industry. “Ah, right, you didn't have any idea who Oikawa-san was. Maybe if you did some studying up on the people around you, you wouldn't be surprised by things like this.” Lev shoots him a glare as Yaku makes his way down the steps. “Oikawa-san was a runway model, right? He's still super attractive, so didn't you ever wonder why he stopped?”

Lev quirks an eyebrow at him. The color had at least began returning to his face. “No? I never really thought of him as attractive…”

“What? Anyone with eyes can see that.” It's Yaku’s turn to look up at Lev curiously. The model just seems confused. “Okay, well don't tell him you think that...anyway, Oikawa-san always had issues with his right knee, and, long story short, turns out it was cancer. By the time they realized it, it was too late to save his leg. He's been cancer free since the amputation, at least.”

“Oikawa-san has a fake leg?! I didn't even notice…he's like a cyborg...”

“Why do you seem excited about that…”

Inuoka comes barreling back up the stairs with broom and dustpan in hand. Yaku takes the offered objects with a thank you and a dismissal before handing the dustpan to his companion.

“Hold it still.”

“Yaku-san, I should be the one sweeping.”

Yaku simply shushes him and they clean up in silence. Once the pieces of prosthetic limb are swept up, Yaku rips open the box of individually wrapped bundles of paper and helps Lev carry them to their appropriate destination, little by little. The model keeps his head down the entire time with a pout on his face.

Finally, they make it back to their cubicle and Yaku crosses his arms as he rounds on Lev.

“What were you doing on Inuoka-san’s floor to begin with? I sent you for paper an hour ago.” He knows the answer before the model can open his mouth, but he needs to know that Lev knows.

“Well…” Lev shuffles his feet uncomfortably under Yaku’s critical gaze, eyes not quite meeting his superior’s. “I got distracted, and I wandered off again…” He says it like it's the most shameful thing a person can do, and the look of guilt on his face makes Yaku’s chest feel tight. “Then I thought you'd be mad, so I got a really dumb idea and Inuoka-kun helped me…I'm sorry, Yaku-san, it was really stupid and I almost hurt someone…”

Yaku gently kicks his shin.

“It _was_ stupid. You shouldn't take shortcuts like that ‘cause shit like this happens.”

“I don't know what I'd do if it had fallen on Oikawa's good leg…”

Yaku grabs him firmly by the shoulders and shakes him lightly. “Hey! You got lucky, okay? To drop a giant box of paper on the one person in the building with a prosthetic limb and to also coincidentally crush that single limb? Fuck the amount of luck you have.” He lightly punches at Lev's abdomen until the man finally grins. “You need to do things properly, even if you think it'll make people mad. I'd rather be mad at you than attending your funeral when Iwaizumi-san murders you.”

“I understand, Yaku-san.”

“I have to tell your dad about this, too.”

Lev groans, shoulders tightening together as he hangs his head again. “I understand, Yaku-san…”

He hates seeing Lev being anything but his bubbly, obnoxious self; there's something unsettling about him in a dejected mood. It's been a month and a half since the kid started working with Yaku and it feels like they've come miles from where they were; Lev has done extremely well under close supervision. He still fumbles with certain tasks, but generally Yaku can trust him to do what he needs to do and get it done correctly.

“Hey, kid. Chin up.”

Lev's brow knits together from the remark. “I'm not a kid, I'm a grown adult, Yaku-san.”

“Yeah, yeah. After a certain age, everyone younger than you is a kid.” Lev attempts to argue that the photographer is still very young, but Yaku doesn't let him speak. “Listen, I don't want you to dwell on this, okay? You've been doing really fucking well lately, better than anyone would have predicted. Everyone fucks up from time to time, and yes this could have gone worse, but it _didn't._ We can't hang onto _what-if_ and _almost._ Just remember your mistakes and do better, yeah?”

Lev gives him a nod, something serious in his eyes.

“I won't let you down. I, uh...I'm going to apologize to Oikawa-san.”

He says that, but he doesn't make a move to leave. Yaku rolls his eyes and pushes him in the direction of Oikawa's office, sending him on his way.

_He'll be okay._

When Lev returns it's with a newfound determination, but it's obvious he's still troubled. He's distracted for the rest of the day, completely caught up in his own head, but Yaku leaves him be.

Lev walks him to the subway station, something he had started doing shortly after Iwaizumi's party. Yaku speaks up before they part ways. “Hey. My friends are getting together tomorrow night and Kuroo said you should come.”

He tries to say it casually, but Lev lights up regardless.

“Do... _you_ want me to come?”

Yaku feels the scowl overtake his features before he can think about it. “Shut up and say you'll come…”

“You don't look like you want me to, so I don't think I should.”

Lev had been so cautious just a month ago, but now the bastard was more confident than any one person should be. Yaku sees the grin tugging at the corner of Lev's mouth, and he wants to kick it off.

“Why are you being such a giant shit lately? We're getting together at six, so you can meet us there or bring extra clothes and go home with me.”

When Lev grins suggestively, Yaku playfully punches his arm.

“Fuck you, I'm out!” He turns to walk towards the crowd of people, his face definitely _not_ turning red.

“See you tomorrow, Yaku-san!”

That night, Yaku tosses and turns on the couch with a million thoughts of how Friday night could go wrong racing through his mind. As soon as he took the first step through his front door it was as though a weight had been dropped over his entire body. He reluctantly took his medicine before it was too late, a good idea on his part after laying down and feeling like he might never get up again. He wasn't feeling particularly sad, Yaku simply had no desire to move. Not to eat, not to turn on the television, not to answer his phone.

Yaku fell asleep on the couch, but waking up the next morning was like being stuck with his head underwater. It hadn't been the first time he was late to work (the broken elevators doing nothing to help), but it was the first morning Lev had been there early enough to see it.

“Good morning, Yaku-san! Did you oversleep?” Lev's smile is as radiant as ever, but he’s quick to catch on that something is off today. He didn't make a fuss over Yaku’s mood, instead staying fairly quiet and busying himself out of Yaku’s way.

Lev even goes out of his way to bring the photographer lunch so that he doesn't have to leave the cubicle. Yaku can't help feeling guilty that he can't even manage express his gratitude.

“Yaku-san.” By the end of the day, Yaku simply sits at his desk after it’s time to leave. When he looks up at Lev, the model gives him a small nod. “Oikawa-san doesn't need us to stay any later. It's time to go.”

Yaku nods before slowly getting to his feet and packing up, Lev waiting patiently off to the side.

“Are you coming home with me?”

Lev scuffs his foot against the carpet, face in a childish pout. “Only if it's okay…”

“It's fine. I'm sorry. You know you didn't do anything, right?”

There are those intense, emerald eyes again, fixed solely on him. “Yeah, I know.” If Yaku had more energy, he'd kick this idiot. “I just figured you were maybe gonna wanna be alone tonight.”

Yaku shakes his head and the two head off towards the stairwell, waving goodbye to Iwaizumi.

“Yeah, I'm not feeling the best, but I said I'd show up tonight, so I might as well. And I said we'd hang out, so…”

“Be careful, I might start thinking I'm growing on you.”

Yaku shoots him a look as they exit the stairwell.

“There's not much more growing a giant like you could do. If anything, you need to get your head back down to earth. _Then_ maybe I'll actually like you.”

Lev's laugh turns a few heads on their way out the doors; it's loud and genuine, just like he is.

“You tolerate me, and that's good enough.” Lev grabs Yaku’s arm to keep him from heading towards the subway station. “A cab has less people.”

With his height, it's easy for Lev to wave down a taxi. Seeing him fit his unusually long limbs into the back seat is almost comical, but Yaku has enough heart to feel sympathy for the behemoth. The traffic sucks and it takes about five minutes longer than the subway would have, but he's not breathing in the air of strangers or being shoved into hot bodies, so it's not entirely unpleasant.

Lev insists on paying for the ride, so who is Yaku to argue (though he does argue, he's Lev's senior, it should be his responsibility). He can't understand why Lev seems so excited to see his apartment again. It's a plain one bedroom with a microscopic balcony and hardly any decorations.

Less than sixty seconds into the apartment and Lev lets out an odd noise, halfway between a scream and a hiccup.

“Yaku-san, I'm on your wall!”

Yaku straightens out their shoes in the entryway before acknowledging Lev on the other side of the living room. The model is beet red standing in front of a large framed poster of the cover of the magazine Yaku had photographed, the one from the day they first met.

The walls of the living room are lined with some of his favorite photos, either independent or professional, and that one had certainly earned a spot.

“Very observant. I'm proud of you, kid.” Lev scowls at him. “If I had any cookies, I'd give them to you for your grade A observation skills.”

Yaku swipes the medicine bottle off the coffee table and retreats to his bedroom. He takes the day's pills, leaving the bottle on the bookcase as he picks up a rectangular bag from the bedside table. Back in the living room Lev has moved on to looking more closely at the other photos lining the walls.

“Hey. I've got something for you. I forgot to bring it this morning.”

Lev's attention is drawn away from a photo of Akaashi he had been critically staring at. “Like a present?”

“It's a hand-me-down, so don't look so excited.” He holds up the black bag and Lev takes it curiously. “You seemed like you enjoyed using my camera, so I dusted off my old Nikon.”

Lev's eyes go wide as they sit down on the couch. He unzips the bag cautiously, as though doing it any quicker might break it, and carefully pulls the instrument out of its foam mould.

“I'm giving it to you, but that doesn't mean I'll let you mistreat it. That camera was with me at the beginning of my career, so if you break it I'll to kick your ass.”

Lev turns to him with his eyes practically sparkling. Yaku runs him through the proper way to change and store the lenses and shows him where which controls are before lecturing him on proper camera care. He holds Lev's attention for an impressive five minutes, but he's sure the model gets the gist of it from watching Yaku at work.

Thirty minutes flies by and before they know it they're changing into their casual clothes before beginning the walk to Kuroo's place.

“I really won't miss this heat,” Lev finally speaks up after making it an impressive ten minutes without a single complaint. “Fuck July.”

Yaku shoots him a grin. “Sucks for you ‘cause August is looking like it'll be hell, too. But it'll be nice when it's cooler, you won't smell as bad.”

He must have hit a nerve because Lev seems to curl in on himself, face flushed with embarrassment.

“Shut up, I can't help it! Half of me is white, it's _normal_ for that half of my genetics, okay?” He resorts to pouting. “Is it bad??”

Yaku lets out a laugh, completely ignoring when Lev scowls at him.

“I'm joking! You smell fine, alright? I'm sorry.”

“Are you _sure?_ ” Lev narrows his eyes suspiciously. “It's hard to get good deodorant when nobody else in Japan really needs it…”

“You smell _fine_.”

“But are you _sure_ , Yaku-san?” Lev drops his arms around Yaku’s shoulders, pulling him closer towards his side. “I don't think you can give me an honest opinion all the way over there. Why don't you come closer?”

Yaku does his best to push him away, but Lev's got a good hold on him.

“Gah! Lev, gross!”

A laugh is all he gets, which is probably fair considering he was just making fun of Lev. Yaku doesn't stop struggling, and his efforts have kept him from getting his head shoved into sweaty man pit.

_“I will knee you in the dick, Lev!”_

A forced cough brings them back to their surroundings. Lev's grip goes slack and they both turn to see Kenma and Kai giving them different versions of judgmental looks from over the stone fence that outlines the comically tiny yard of Kuroo and Kenma’s duplex.

“It's nice to see you two still getting along,” Kai teases with the smallest of grins.

“Getting along? I'm waiting for the right opportunity to off this asshole and steal his fortune.”

Lev gasps dramatically. “Yaku-san, I don't _have_ a fortune!”

“Not _yet._ When your dad passes on his riches, that's when I'll strike. I've got a whole plan thought out with Oikawa-san, but it's top secret, so don't worry about it.”

Lev opens his mouth to retort, but Kenma speaks first.

“Anyway, everyone's waiting.” Kenma’s face twists into a disgusted scowl. “Tora is inside pleading his case for the latest titty anime and I'm already sick of him.”

“Of course he is…Lev, this is Kozume Kenma. Just call him Kenma.”

Lev looks over Kenma curiously, from his baggy pajamas to the grown out hair partially bleached and pulled back into a loose bun.

“Yaku-san, are any of your friends smaller than you--OW! SORRY, YAKU-SAN!” Lev rubs the spot on his stomach where Yaku elbowed him. “If it makes you feel better, he's still kinda short, too.”

“Lev! Kenma is your senior by three years, so stop being an asshole.”

Kenma seems more bothered by their general presence than Lev insulting his height. Before Lev can apologize the blond disappears through the ‘back’ door (is it still a _back_ door and _back_ yard if they're on the _side_ of the building?),  Kai following shortly after.

The front door of the duplex is unlocked (as it usually is) and the two enter to a chorus of _“boo”_ as everyone present attempts to drown out Tora. As soon as Lev has his head ducked through the doorway the noise stops and everyone turns shamelessly to get a good look. Kuroo is leaned over the back of the couch trying to grab at Kenma near the back door, Tanaka is next to him aiming a remote at Tora, who stands in front of the tv as though he's giving a presentation, Kai is peeking his head in from where he's just entered the kitchen, Fukunaga is sitting on the floor at Kuroo’s feet, and there's a little guy Yaku can't name peering at them from over the back of the loveseat.

“Holy shit, you're _huge!_ ” The silence is broken by the little guy, who Yaku recognizes from Instagram but has never met in real life. One of Kenma’s friends, he's instantly identifiable by the bright orange hair and painfully wide smile. The guy practically leaps over the loveseat to get to them. “How tall are you?!”

Lev blinks down at him with wide, uncertain eyes. The over-excited ray of sunshine doesn't seem to know the meaning of personal space, and Yaku briefly wonders how the hell Kenma, of all people, made friends with such an energetic person.

“I'm one hundred and ninety-eight centimeters,” Lev mutters.

“What?!” The guy seems to be taken back, understandably so since Lev really is outrageously huge. “That's almost two meters! Do you play sports?”

“ _Shouyou_ ,” Kenma warns, but he seems more concerned with turning the Wii on than with what his friend is doing. “You're crowding them.”

The energetic guy jumps back with enough theatrics to give Oikawa a run for his money.

“Gah! I'm sorry!” He gives a deep bow and Yaku has to wonder what kind of genetics could give someone hair that fucking _orange._ “My name is Hinata Shouyou, I'm one hundred and sixty-five centimeters. Do you like sports?!”

“ _Quiet!_ ” Tora roars, only to be smacked upside the head by Kuroo.

Hinata still looks back as tough Tora is someone to fear, his voice back to being indoor appropriate when he addresses Lev again.

“Well?”

Lev glances to Yaku as the photographer passes them to take Hinata’s spot on the loveseat, but Yaku simply waves his hand dismissively.

“Um, I'm Haiba Lev. I played basketball my first year of high school, but everyone was kinda mean, so I quit.”

Yaku joins Kenma, Fukunaga, and Tanaka at Smash Bros while Lev makes a new (and very loud) friend. There are more people present than Yaku had anticipated, and after a less than ideal morning he can feel his social energy deplete quicker than usual. It's only made worse with the way Tora and Tanaka yell at one another as their main form of communication.

At some point, Lev and Hinata join in with the rest of the group (after Lev takes at least five minutes to gush about Zelda, the most attention seeking cat in the house), Lev taking the free spot next to Yaku on the loveseat. Yaku hands the Wiimote over, his companion more than eager to play.

The photographer ignores the suggestive grin Kuroo gives them, though he does wonder if the bastard has started gossiping with Oikawa yet. That's just what he needs, the two nosiest assholes he knows conspiring against him at his and Lev's expense.

He spots Kuroo texting and the urge to launch the nearest cat at the man (nothing personal, Zelda) is a difficult one to ignore.

“Mori-kun.” Yaku glances down to see Fukunaga completely ignoring the game, his wide eyes focused on his friend. “Your apartment allows cats, right?” Yaku raises an eyebrow at the question, but nods his affirmation. “Cool. Teshiro-kun found some kittens. He got homes for them, but one person backed out last minute, so he's stuck with a kitten he isn't supposed to have.”

Yaku furrows his brow. “I'm not taking in a kitten.”

Zelda nips at his leg hair, unhappy with the loss of Lev's attention and the general lack of acknowledgment anyone is giving her. Fukunaga watches Yaku pick her up and set her in his lap, wide eyes not blinking. He should _really_ blink more.

Zelda purrs under his touch as Yaku strokes her long, soft, pale blond fur.

“You love cats. Just take the kitten.”

“Yaku-san, you should definitely get a kitten!” Lev turns his full attention to their conversation. He doesn't even notice when Tora steals the Wiimote from his hands. “Then, I could come over and see your cat!”

Yaku fixes him with a dull expression. “Lev, if you want to see a cat so badly, then _you_ take it.”

Lev's shoulders slump, expression falling as he absentmindedly tangles his fingers in Zelda’s fur.

“My mom is super allergic to cats and dogs. The only pets we've really had are my sister’s birds. They hate me and I hate them, stupid birds…”

Zelda doesn't protest when Yaku moves her into Lev's lap. The smile comes back to the model's face full force when she snuggles against him, purr even louder than before.

“If I got a cat, I don't think you'd leave me alone.”

“I'm okay with that.”

Tanaka and Kuroo snort together from the other couch. Luckily, Kai is there to bop them on the backs of their heads from his position sitting on the back of the couch.

“You've thought about getting a cat for a while. Didn't your therapist agree a pet might be good for you?” Yaku knows Kai means well, but at the mention of his therapist Yaku feels his stomach sink. His eyes automatically dart back to Lev to see if he caught Kai’s slip. “Oh. Crap, sorry…”

“We used to have a cat when I was a kid, but I don't remember what it was like.” Lev doesn't seem to notice anything outside of the cat gnawing playful at his wrist, so Yaku plays it off like Kai said nothing unusual. “I dunno. I'll think about it, alright?”

Fukunaga gives a short nod. He turns back to the game as though he never left; their friends have enough etiquette to not shamelessly attack an AFK player (who isn't Kuroo, he's always fair game).

Hinata lets out a loud, almost strangled noise of surprise, drawing everyone's attention. Kuroo is the first to spot the source of his outburst.

“Oh, Jelly Belly joins the party.”

Kenma scowls without turning away from the game. “His name is _Donut_.”

Sure enough, an extremely large, round cat with short fur is plopping his way down the stairs. It's Lev's turn to make an odd sound, not quite a squeal, but fairly close.

“He's fat and I love him!”

“Right?!” Kuroo grins proudly at his fat cat. “If he's a donut, he's definitely jelly filled...Kenma hates when I call him that, though. If you ask me, it's because my brilliance intimidates him.”

Kenma snorts indignantly.

Donut sniffs around, slanted eyes gazing over them each in turn. He spends extra time staring at Lev, stuck between not trusting the newcomer and being offended at the attention he's been showing Zelda. The straight Scottish fold waddles to the couch, stepping purposefully on Fukunaga as he makes his way to Kenma. Donut gets comfortable in Kenma’s lap, eyes locked on Zelda, though the blond cat doesn't seem remotely interested as she wiggles around on her back to keep Lev's attention.

Despite the love of Zelda, Lev looks as though not petting the new cat is causing him physical harm. Yaku can understand, Donut is very fat and round and you can roll him around if he likes you enough.

There will be future opportunities. Yaku believes in Lev.

Before they can even catch a glimpse of the elusive Koko, Yaku feels the strain of prolonged social interaction wearing him into the ground. He can sense Kenma’s observant golden eyes stealing glances at him, but the blond remains as quiet as he always is.

It feels like everything is happening at an increased speed.

Yaku wants to jump out of his own skin.

“Um. Yaku-san, I should be getting home.” Lev waits for Yaku to slowly look his way, eyes slightly blank as he registers Lev's features. “But I, uh, left the camera at your house. I didn't think about it when we left. I'm sorry.”

The look Lev fixes him with is more worried than guilty. Yaku gives him a nod and the two stand to leave, though not before Lev is finally permitted to give Donut several pets from where he still rests in Kenma’s lap. There's a mismatched chorus of farewells on their way out the door; Lev waves enthusiastically back until the door is closed and they're left with only the sounds of Friday night Tokyo.

Lev doesn't wait long to speak up.

“Are you okay...?”

Yaku doesn't look at him, he simply keeps his eyes forward as they walk side-by-side. “Why wouldn't I be?” It's a stubborn response and he knows it. Lev's more observant than a lot of people give him credit for; if he picked up on Yaku’s poor mood this morning then of course he'd notice it now. “Everyone was getting along.”

There's a huff from his companion, a noise of genuine irritation that is fairly rare from such a happy go lucky guy.

“I know you don't like being around a lot of people, even if you know them…”

“How do you figure that?”

He glances over to see Lev's brow furrowed. _Is he angry?_

“You get away from group situations as quick as possible. If you can't, you drink. If you can't drink, you get…”

“Just say weird. It's appropriate.”

“I don't wanna call it weird…”

Yaku reaches out to touch the bars of a fence, hand running over the individual lengths of metal as they continue on their way.

“But it is. We both know it is.”

“It's not, though?” Lev slows his pace. He's back to looking at Yaku with worried eyes. “I know you're not weird, you're just…” Lev waves his hands around in a vague gesture that must speak volumes in his mind. It takes a raised eyebrow to prompt him for elaboration, but he seems hesitant to continue. “Well, you're...depressed, right? I, uh...saw your pill bottle that night when I took you home and…” Lev worries his bottom lip between his teeth, right hand rolling the smooth beads of his bracelet between his fingers. “I'm sorry, Yaku-san. I shouldn't have looked…”

“Hey.” Yaku gently flicks at Lev's mouth, a reminder not to bite his lips. “It’s okay. It's not that big a deal anymore, right?” He's not lying; normally, talking about mental health issues with someone for the first time makes Yaku’s heart beat erratically with anxiety. The conversation in general is always one Yaku prefers to keep between himself and his psychiatrist, but Lev… “It's okay. I mean, that was personal and fuck you for looking, but...it’s okay. That you know.”

In the distance they hear the obnoxious hoots of drunken youth, no doubt getting everything they can out of their Friday night in the big city.

“I really am sorry. It's super personal, I just worry sometimes-”

“I said it's fine. We're friends, right? Now you know for sure, and I have nothing to hide.” Lev opens his mouth to argue, but Yaku fixes him with a warning look.

Mental illness isn't something people really advertise about themselves, but just like his sexual preferences, his depression is something widely known about by his friends. Lev is just as trustworthy as anyone else who already knows.

The model purses his lips, expression serious. “Well...it, uh, isn't as personal as depression, but...the reason I can't concentrate…”

“You have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. It's why you have a bracelet that's used as a fidget object, you need music to concentrate, you forget what you're doing because you get distracted easily, you hold onto me a lot so that you don't accidentally wander off, and you're great at doing physical tasks and multitasking because it's more engaging for you.”

Lev's eyes go completely wide, genuinely shocked that Yaku would have picked up on something so outrageously obvious.

“How…”

Yaku shakes his head. “I just Googled it. You told me about it the first time we ever met, so it wasn't hard to put a name to it.”

“Aww, Yaku-san did research on me!”

“Whatever…”

Yaku takes the first few steps going up to the apartment. He looks back to see Lev hesitating at the bottom of the stairs, not quite sure what should happen from here. Yaku gestures for him to follow, Lev trailing behind him like an excited puppy all the way into the apartment.

“You sure this is okay, Yaku-san? You look tired.”

“I had to deal with you all week, of course I'm tired.” Yaku looks around. He hadn't put much thought into inviting his friend in. “I do wanna get into pajamas. Um...I don't have any pants that would fit your freakishly long legs, but I've got some shorts if you want out of your jeans.”

Lev nods eagerly. After directing him to the kitchenette to make popcorn, Yaku disappears into his bedroom to change into sweatpants and an oversized shirt. He thinks it's something Akaashi may have forgotten with its weird stylized owl printed onto the front. Yaku never cared much for birds, but a comfortable shirt is a comfortable shirt.

Back in the living room, Lev has successfully made microwaved popcorn _without_ burning down the apartment.

Yaku hands over a pair of sports shorts and another shirt that is too big to be his own in exchange for the snack, and Lev changes behind the island counter that separates the living room and kitchenette. He folds his clothes, placing them neatly on the counter before stepping around into the living room. The shorts fit Yaku well enough, but Lev's legs are miles longer.

He's got nice thighs.

“If this whole modeling thing doesn't work out, you could always strip.”

Lev gasps in offense. He picks up one of the throw pillows and smacks at his companion’s shoulder, Yaku laughing all the while.

“ _Stop,_ the popcorn!”

“You're always so mean!”

“You make it too easy, Lev.”

Lev finally settles down on the couch with a huff of annoyance. He rests his legs heavy on Yaku’s lap, bottom lip sticking out in a childish pout.

His face lights up just a moment later, irritation completely forgotten.

“Yaku-san, you should take that cat!” Lev doesn't stop smiling even when all Yaku does is stare blankly at him. “Yaku-san, I'm _super_ serious. If you have a cat, then I can come play with it.”

“You'd go from wanting to spend time with me to wanting nothing to do with me.”

“I love cats more than I like you.”

“ _Ouch_.” Yaku flips through the television channels looking for something to watch. “Well, I can't blame you. I just don't know about getting a cat.” He settles on an anime, something random with giant mechs and explosions that Lev will probably love. Sure enough, his emerald eyes are instantly drawn to the television. “My therapist suggested getting an animal, but the thought of being responsible for a living being is…terrifying.”

It's always impossible to tell if Lev is listening when his attention is somewhere else, so when he doesn't immediately respond Yaku simply assumes he didn't hear him. It's probably a good five minutes before Lev speaks.

“Yeah, I'd be afraid, too. But I don't think you'd be a bad pet owner. You're super attentive and responsible.”

Yaku readjusts so that they both have their backs against a headrest and their legs resting parallel with one another across the couch. Lev doesn't take his eyes off of the television. It's oddly comforting to not be stared down when he's admitting to his mental illness related shortcomings.

“I...when I come home at the end of the day, it's hard to do much of anything sometimes. There are periods of time when I can't take care of myself. How can I be confident that I can take care of something else?”

Yaku absentmindedly picks at the popcorn in his lap. In the anime, the main character strikes a final blow to his opponent and Lev's eyes widen. They jumped into the show at such a random moment yet Lev still watches it as though he's completely invested.

“You go to work every day, even when you aren't okay. How do you do it?”

Yaku furrows his brow. “I do it because I _have_ to.”

There's another long pause while the main anime character gives a cliche speech about good and evil.

“You go to work Monday through Friday no matter what, because you have to. So, if you have a cat, you'll take care of it, because it's your responsibility and you have to.”

Honestly, he had never really thought about it like that. Yaku sometimes had difficulties doing basic tasks to care for himself, yet in his adult years he could probably count the days he's called out of work on two hands.

“Lev, you're not allowed to be insightful.”

Lev acts like he didn't hear the comment, but even in the dim light Yaku can see the smirk on the model's thin lips.

They watch the tv in relative silence. It's comforting, sitting on the couch together with Lev's warmth against Yaku’s leg. He doesn't mind when Lev talks his ear off, but moments when the model is hyper focused  and unusually silent are nice, too.

Yaku doesn't realize his eyes have closed until Lev startles him back awake.

“Oh! Yaku-san, Oikawa-san wanted me to remind you about the party. He said you'd know what that meant.”

Yaku groans. Oikawa is the type of person who will take any opportunity to party, no matter what event or occasion.

“My birthday is coming up and he _insists_ on taking me somewhere ‘ _nice_.’” The photographer scowls at the implications of Oikawa's meddling. “I don't know what he wants to do, but I'll be forced to wear The Good Clothes.”

Lev snorts from the other end of the couch. “You wear nice clothes to work every day.”

“Exactly. Who wants to wear a collared shirt and slacks outside of work? Who wants to go to some fancy club when I can just stay home, eat takeout, and watch shitty television?”

The younger of the two finally turns his head enough to give Yaku a look of pity. “Yaku-san, I'm beginning to worry about you.”

“Let this be a lesson to you, kid. Most adults who look like they've got their shit together? Totally don't. Adulthood is a lie perpetuated by people who are assholes. Fuck the establishment.”

Lev does his best to suppress a grin, but he can't keep the smile off his face.

Yaku doesn't last much longer after that. One moment, he's slowly blinking his eyes closed. The next, he's being carried into his room.

When he wakes up the next morning it's to light streaming into his room through the bedroom door. With a groan, he rolls out of bed, fumbling around for his phone before realizing it's probably still in the living room. Seeing Lev passed out on the couch gives him an odd feeling; Yaku can't remember the last time someone stayed the night at his apartment. _Was it when I was still fooling around with Keiji?_

Grabbing his phone he opens his text thread with Kuroo to find a chain of suggestive emoji faces and a poorly photographed drawing of two crudely drawn stick figures. Yaku assumes the figures are supposed to be having sex. There's also a message from Oikawa of yet another suggestive looking emoji.

Kuroo and Oikawa are definitely talking behind his back.

 

> **Me** [2017/07/22, 10:09]  
>  Hypothetically, if I asked you to murder Kuroo Tetsurou, what would your price be?

> **Kyoutani Kentarou** [10:12]  
>  A kfc family meal  
>  But you're shit out of luck  
>  I have a wife and three kids now I can't afford jail time
> 
> **Kyoutani Kentarou** [10:13]  
>  Tempting though

 

With a roll of his eyes, Yaku sets his phone down and stands over Lev. The model is still sleeping soundly, long legs poking out from under a blanket that's at least a foot too short for him. His silver hair is a complete mess, but somehow he still manages to be attractive, even in his sleep.

Damn him and his good genetics.

Yaku nudges him with his knee.

“Lev, wake your ass up.” Lev groans, face twisting before he rolls his body to face away from Yaku. “Lev, it's a bright fucking morning and if I'm awake, you're gonna be, too.”

“Noooooo.”

“Yeeeees.”

Yaku tugs at his arm until he's finally able to drag Lev into a sitting position. They take turns showering, Yaku throwing Lev's clothes into his mini washing machine so that he's got something clean to wear. Yaku laughs at Lev walking around with a blanket wrapped tightly around himself, his face red despite his nakedness being covered. It luckily doesn't take more than twenty minutes to dry his clothes in the laundromat one building over. Yaku also gets an assortment of messages while he waits.

The first is several texts from Kuroo’s cousin offering to off Kuroo for a box of mochi. The offer is tempting, but she's currently in Korea and there's no telling if Yaku would feel the same once she finally returns to Japan.

The next is a text from Fukunaga, a single photo of the homeless kitten sleeping with a teddy bear. The cat is, of course, outrageously adorable. He forwards the picture to Lev.

The final messages are from Kenma apologizing for Kuroo's existence, but firmly warning Yaku against murder; the rent for the duplex isn't cheap. Kenma is right, taking Kuroo out of the picture would fuck up the blond’s finances, and what kind of friend would do that?

Kuroo is permitted to live. For now.

When Yaku renters the apartment, Lev is startled so bad that he falls backwards off the couch. Yaku gets a good laugh in as he rushes around the furniture to make sure his friend is okay. Once he's sure Lev isn't hurt, he drops the warm clothes on his head and waits for him finish getting ready.

“Yaku-san, where are we going?”

Lev doesn't think to ask until they're already walking down the street. Yaku tells him to just wait, but the younger man only grows more confused once they board a subway car. He attempts to fix Yaku with the stink eye, but a small group of young girls stand next to them, each with a different Sailor Moon shirt or purse, and he quickly turns to them to chat happily about the show. They're apprehensive at first, but it doesn't take them long to realize he's just a friendly nerd and means them no harm.

Ten minutes of Lev becoming best friends with random school girls and they're back out on the street. Yaku stops in front of a small pet shop, and it takes Lev a moment of staring up at the sign before he puts two and two together.

“YAKU-SAN! YOU'RE TAKING THE CAT?!”

“Inside voice, Lev!” he hisses, ignoring the strange looks several passersby give them. “I thought a little about what you said. I've wanted a cat for a while, but just...never went for it. Might as well take a free one, right?”

Lev is grinning from ear to ear, genuinely excited about someone else getting a kitten. He's so ridiculous. It’s endearing.

They browse the shop together and almost immediately Yaku questions the decision to bring his friend; Lev is having a hard time suppressing the urge to bounce up and down the isles in an attempt to look at absolutely everything.

Yaku shoots down the idea to buy the kitten a little outfit with extreme precision.

“Lev, if I ever put an animal in an outfit, assume I've been abducted and replaced and instruct Iwaizumi-san to murder my doppelganger.”

“If your doppelganger will put the cat in a little tutu, I'm going to become his best friend. Anti-Yaku-san will understand me. We'll get married, adopt ten more cats, and they'll all be in little outfits.”

“You're a damn traitor.”

“I have priorities.”

Yaku turns away to hide his smile. By the end of their shopping trip they've got a good amount of supplies weighing them down. Lev insists on taking a taxi, going as far as to say he's taking one back to the apartment with or without him.

Seeing Lev crammed into the back of a taxi doesn't get any less hilarious the second time Yaku sees it.

Yaku takes a deep breath once they've deposited the supplies in the entryway of his home. The air conditioned apartment is a nice relief from the brutal heat of outside.

“Thanks for helping me out. The next time you're here, there will be a fluff ball ruining my furniture.”

“Gah! I never get to see kittens, I can't wait!”

Lev smiles brightly down at him and Yaku finds himself smiling back. Getting a kitten can't be so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wasn't supposed to take so long, but I've been sick and I had to start preparing for a convention that's coming up here soon, so less writing time...but I did it *thumbs up* I recently learned that most East Asians don't have the same nasty BO as the rest of us so now I feel cheated in life. 
> 
> Also. This chapter has not been beta'd cause I no longer have one for this fic, so if anyone was still interested please hmu on my writing Tumblr [@MonkWrites](http://monkwrites.tumblr.com).


	5. I don't know this asshole but I don't think I want to

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “His name is...Totoro.”
> 
> Kenma gives a short nod of approval, though Kuroo makes a _‘so-so’_ gesture with his hand. Yaku doesn't need to look over to know Lev is staring intently at him as though the idiot just saw a unicorn shit a rainbow, he can practically _feel_ it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT NOTE: As I'm sure anyone who has been reading any of these stories is aware, this is set in a universe that mirrors our own where homophobia is still very much an important issue. That being said, Yaku is based quite a bit off of myself, and later in this chapter when he is talking about LGBT safe spaces and what is happening to them, I would like anyone who hasn't experienced it to keep in mind that _I_ have, I am writing that bit completely from my own experiences. It isn't a jab at anyone, it is the reality that many LGBT people live with. Thanks for sticking with me!

Anyone within their friend group knows that the eighth wonder of the world is when no-fun-allowed ice king Akaashi Keiji laughs. Not one of his condescending little chuckles, but a full-blown, eyes crinkled at the edges laugh. In the years Yaku has known him, he could probably count the number of times he's heard that laugh on his hands, that's how rare it is. It's probably not even all that special in and of itself, it's just that it's coming from _Akaashi_ of all people. It's enough to make whatever horribly embarrassing thing that just happened to you worth it, if he finds it so funny. Most of the time, at least.

This is not one of those times.

Yaku glares up at Akaashi more in irritation than anything else. “It's really not that funny.”

Akaashi takes a moment to recompose himself. He hides his mouth behind his hand, but Yaku can tell he's grinning.

“No, but it got me anyway. Thank you for that.” Akaashi takes one more glance at his phone before putting the device away. “You took a free cat but didn't bother to ask any questions about it?”

Yaku can't help but roll his eyes. “You ask questions about _dogs_. Most cats are just...cats. But then there's _this_ thing.” He holds up the fluffy kitten under its little armpits while it tries to wiggle to freedom. “This monster is only, like, three months old and already close to eight pounds.”

“Well, yes. A Maine coon _is_ rather large. That cat will be about half your size in the next year.”

“Ha ha, you're _so_ funny,” Yaku replies in a flat tone.

The photographer releases the kitten with a sigh, watching as the fuzz ball wobbles to the other side of the couch, inevitably tumbling off the edge.

“What have you named him?”

“Uhh…” The kitten pads along the carpet as though he's never seen the apartment floor before, despite living here for a week already. It's like having a stuffed animal that's been possessed by a perpetually drunk spirit. “I'm not really sure yet. He was a last minute decision, so…” The kitten wanders to one of his toy mice, though he still seems a bit young to play with such things, so he just ends up looking at it with a rather dumb expression. “Lev said he looks like Totoro.”

Akaashi makes a small noise of acknowledgement as they watch the kitten sit on the mouse and then look around as though it had suddenly disappeared.

“Then you'll go with that?”

Yaku taps his fingers against the fabric of the couch while he considers his answer. “...I'm not really sure.”

“What's not to be sure about? It's not like you'll come up with anything.”

“What's that supposed to mean?!”

Akaashi simply rolls his eyes knowing full well that Yaku knows exactly what he means.

“Besides, I can't just...use Lev's idea.”

“Why not, exactly…?”

Yaku huffs a sigh through his nose.

“Well, _because_ …” He doesn't need to look at the man next to him to know he's being scrutinized. “You know! It’s... _Lev’s_ idea.”

There's a long moment of silence between them before Yaku finally chances a glance to the side; Akaashi is giving him a flat look.

“What?!”

“Sorry, I just...never realized you were so damn pathetic. It's just a cat, not a commitment.”

“It’s a big deal, okay! It’s not my fault you don't understand basic human concepts of romance!”

Akaashi actually snorts at that. “I'm pretty sure I understand romance enough to know that this boy won't expect your undying love over a cat. You're being absolutely ridiculous.”

There's another long pause in the conversation while Akaashi continues to stare at Yaku judgmentally. Deep down, the photographer knows he's being a bit dramatic, but he's also not ignorant of his current relationship with the guy in question. He's not used to things being complicated like this.

“Keiji, how many guys have you liked these past few years? Like, like like, not what we were.”

Akaashi raises an eyebrow at him. “Do you really not think I could have _like liked_ you?” Yaku gives him a questioning look, but Akaashi sighs before the photographer can really answer. “I haven't exactly been looking. Men are more trouble than they're worth. But that's just me.”

“Good luck explaining that to Oikawa-san when he inevitably tries to hook you up with someone.”

“If you ask me, he got lucky with Yahaba, but now he thinks he's the god of romance.”

Yaku nods in agreement, though remains silent as he considers Akaashi’s question. He's about to bring it up again, but then the model's phone beeps. He pulls it out to glance at the screen and his eyebrows draw together with a _tsk._

“Speaking of the singles club...Terushima wants to meet up…”

“And that's bad…?”

“Well, not on its own.” Akaashi stands to head for the entryway, slipping on his shoes with an expression of mild frustration as Yaku follows behind. “It's just lately, ever since he started talking to this new guy.”

“New guy? Like... _new_ new guy?”

“It is hard to keep up, but yes. I thought you would have heard all about it, though.” There's a grin that tugs at Akaashi’s lips as he opens the door. “If nobody's mentioned it to you, it's not my place to do so.” Akaashi turns to leave, but something stops him. He gives Yaku one last look. “Oikawa insists I be there next Friday, so I guess I'll see you then.”

With that, he's gone, and Yaku is left groaning. With the new cat, he had almost forgotten about his upcoming birthday. There's four days left until his phone will blow up all day long and seven until Oikawa forces him out into a building full of strobing lights, blaring music, and hot bodies. The thought alone is enough to stir up anxiety in his stomach; he can do just about anything for his job no matter how many people are around, as long as he's got a camera or a purpose. Recreationally, though, is when he can only handle so much.

That night, Yaku falls asleep on the couch with a kitten curled up at his neck. The rest of the weekend goes by quickly, though it's a surprisingly nice few days full of binge watching movies, frantically locating the kitten, and ignoring his phone.

On Monday Lev is irritated with Yaku’s prior lack of communication for all of sixty seconds until he's invited out the next afternoon for birthday shenanigans. After that, he's so hyper and excited that Yaku is back to contemplating tying the model to a chair to get him to stop bouncing around. By the time they're heading home, he feels like Lev has drained every ounce of energy Yaku had reserved for the week.

When Yaku wakes up the next morning, he doesn't feel like anything's really different, though that's how birthdays just kind of go when you get older. If it weren't for his friends being insistent socialites, he wouldn't pay any attention to it at all. Twenty-six isn't exactly a milestone, but at least he's made it this far.

Yaku opens the bedroom door and Totoro bolts out of the room as quickly as he can on his little ( _though still so much bigger than a regular kitten’s_ ) legs, only tripping over his own paws once.

The bedroom door may need to start staying open since Totoro seems to hate being confined.

After a good, hot shower Yaku finds himself staring into the steam covered mirror. His eyes are tired and he's pretty sure he looks like shit, but that's how he feels most days. Why would today be any different?

Once he's fed the kitten and finished getting ready for work, he's back in front of the mirror again. He's sure he looks much better now, but it's honestly hard to tell anymore. His sandy hair is a mess in the way that short hair generally is, the bags under his eyes are a little less apparent than when he first woke up, and his skin looks much better after his shower.

He's looked worse.

Once at work he's surprised to see Lev has already arrived and is waiting for him by the front doors. The model is tapping his foot impatiently and Yaku can hear the faint chime of baoding balls scraping together as Lev works them around in one of his large palms. Apparently Inuoka had given him some a few weeks ago, and Lev had taken quite a liking to them.

“You're here early, Lev. What're you standing out here for?”

Lev jumps a bit as his attention saps out of Lev Land, the metal balls clanking together in his hand as he clenches it.

“Good morning, Yaku-san!” It’s always difficult to believe Lev has issues sleeping when he's so energetic all the time. Yaku notices a package in the young man's other hand as the model slips the spheres in his bag, though Lev repositions it behind his back once he catches the photographer looking. “I woke up on time, so I decided to come a little early. I figured you weren't far behind, though.”

“What's the package for?”

“It's for you, but you can't have it yet.”

Yaku ushers him into the building, the receptionist glaring at them as they pass through the lobby towards the elevators.

“You didn't have to get me anything.”

“I know. I’m just a really great person.” Lev grins down at him as they file into the elevator, several fresh faces gawking up at Lev as they walk past him into the lobby. “I also thought it would be nice to give you something to remember me by since they'll be putting you in a nursing home soon.”

“A nursing home? That's harsh.”

“You knew the risks when you decided to be gay.”

Yaku chuckles under his breath. “Damn, that's true…well, whatever you've got me better at least be expensive. I'm worth it.”

“Yaku-san, you should really aspire to be more than a gold digger. You're worth more than that.”

“Rich kids just don't understand, Lev.”

Once the elevator opens on their floor, Yaku looks around before hiding himself behind a confused Lev as they pass by Oikawa's line of sight.

“Yaku-san…?”

“I'm gonna have to deal with his shit all day, and I don't want it to start now.”

“You should have called out, then...oooo, donuts!” Lev's eyes light up once they fall on a pastry box set next to Yaku’s keyboard. “If Oikawa-san is so annoying, why do you do this extra work for him?”

Yaku takes his seat and flips the pastry box lid open to assess the contents.

“I could live photo shoot to photo shoot, but I prefer the stability.” He slides the box closer to his assistant and Lev eagerly accepts. “Plus, I'm kind of saving up for something.”

Lev picks through the pastries making sure to touch each one because he's a fucking animal. “Like what? I thought you had your  dream camera.”

“It's not that. I, uh...I never wanted to be a fashion photographer. If I could have my own gallery and sell my own work...that’s the dream.” When Lev finally meets his gaze, there's a look in his intense eyes that Yaku isn't familiar with with. “What?!”

“That's pretty cool. I might not know anything about photography and galleries and stuff, but if Naruto can become Hokage, then I'm pretty sure you can follow your  dreams, too... _I believe in you, Yaku-san_.”

Yaku tries to hold in his laughter, but he can't keep a few chuckles from escaping.

“Shut up, idiot.”

He bumps their knees together with no real malice and Lev pushes back playfully. After a moment the pressure subsides and they sit quietly with one leg each leaning together like it's no big deal.

Yaku feels his chest tighten, a sensation he hasn't missed in the least. He's too old to feel like a high schooler again.

“Yaku-san, I need to...ask you something.”

Yaku’s head snaps up to look at his companion; Lev's eyebrows are drawn together and his gaze cast downwards. Yaku can see him fidgeting with his bracelet in his peripheral vision, slender fingers working over the smooth beads. The model shoots him a nervous look, lips pursuing together before he releases a breath.

“You haven't…Yaku-san, you haven't told my dad about my, uh, _preferences_ , have you?”

It takes a moment for the question to fully register in Yaku’s head. His eyes widen as Lev looks tentatively at him.

“What?!” Yaku looks around nervously to make sure his outburst didn't draw any unnecessary attention. “Of course not...why would you think that?”

“I’m sorry! I didn't think you would, but I had to ask…” Lev slouches against the desk with a dramatic sigh. “It's just the way my family's been talking to me lately. Like they know something and want me to know that they know?”

“Well, then have you thought about just coming out and telling them?”

Lev's face contorts as he gives Yaku an oddly judgmental look.

“I'm just saying! Not everyone has a family they're able to come out to. I can't really say I know your dad, but maybe you're one of the lucky few who will be accepted by his family.”

“Would your family not accept you?”

Yaku leans back in his chair with a thoughtful hum.

“No, not really. But it doesn't matter much for me since my parents weren't around very often to begin with. Even with my older brother, I was on my own a lot.”

The way Lev looks at him makes him just a little uncomfortable. It's a relief when the model's eyes fall back on the pastry box as he considers which to eat next.

“I wanna think my family would actually accept me, but…I just don't want to keep disappointing them.”

“‘ _Keep disappointing them_ ’?”

Lev narrows his eyes at him. “Don't act like you don't know. I'm my dad's only son, but I'll obviously never be fit to follow in his footsteps…his son is terrible at everything _and_ gay?” His eyes dart away to stare pointedly down at the desk. “I don't know if I can do that to him...”

There's a jumble of words in Yaku’s head that struggle to escape, but all that comes out is a strangled noise when he can't come up with a coherent sentence. His fingers twitch in a moment of hesitation before he allows his hand to grasps Lev’s where it rests between them on the table. Lev looks at him with surprise.

“Lev, that's not─”

“Mo-ri-chan~” They both about jump out of their skin when Oikawa appears behind them like a fucking ninja. It only takes a moment for the editor to notice their hands on the desk, and by then Yaku pulls away too late. “Oh, am I interrupting? Sorry, I just wanted to drop this by and say happy birthday.” When Oikawa shoves a small box wrapped in obnoxiously blue paper at him, Yaku accepts it out of instinct. “I'll leave you to it now, just don't get frisky where you might get caught~”

Once again Yaku finds the words dying on his tongue. Oikawa is practically skipping away by the time his words fully register.

“ _That flamboyant fucking prick_ ,” he seethes. He shakes the package a bit and feels the contents thump against the box before tossing it onto the desk. He can feel his cheeks burning. With a glance to his side, he notices that Lev's also flushed.

“Do people get caught making out here very often?”

“W-what?”

“Isn't that what Oikawa-san was talking about?” Lev turns to look at him again with furrowed brows. Yaku doesn't get a chance to respond when the model's eyes go wide as he finally realizes. “Oh! Is Oikawa-san implying we're gonna have _sex_?”

Out of all the times Lev could lose control of his volume, of course it's during that final sentence. It has never been harder to not hit the idiot than in this exact moment, but Yaku has been trying his best to control his temper.

He settles for kicking him under the desk.

He would like to revisit their previous conversation, but Lev seems to have forgotten about it and Yaku isn't sure how to bring it up again. It's easier to spend the rest of the day shooting glares at the kid as he tries his best to get back on Yaku’s good side.

When the work day ends he's not really mad anymore, he just wants to make Lev squirm.

Yaku waits at his desk for his assistant to finish one last task when he finally tears open the violently blue package Oikawa had given him earlier. Inside is a burgundy leather wallet that looks like it's probably more expensive than any money cradling device needs to be. Expressiveness aside, it's very minimalist in design and exactly his style. He's needed a new wallet for a while now.

As infuriating as Oikawa is, he knows exactly what you like and remembers everything you need. That thoughtful bastard.

“Is that Oikawa-san’s gift?”

Yaku glances up from where he's switching out wallets with a sound of affirmation.

“Oikawa-san has expensive taste.”

“Tell me about it...kinda makes me mad that he's so insufferable yet so giving.”

“Yaku-san is mad about everything.”

The photographer rolls his eyes despite Lev not being able to see it. He's about to say something sarcastic when he notices Lev's package from earlier where it had been set next to Lev's chair. He reaches over and pulls the package from its bag before Lev is able to stop him.

“I'm gonna open this now.”

“No, Yaku-san!” Lev makes to reach for the item, but with an untrusting look he recoils instead as though he's sure Yaku will try striking him. “Why can't you wait until you get home?!”

From the feel alone of the package’s sides he can tell that it's something framed.

“Lev, if you've framed your nudes I might actually kill you.”

A blush easily overtakes Lev's pale face as he looks absolutely mortified. He punches Yaku’s shoulder, the photographer grinning at rendering blabbermouth Lev speechless.

“Fine, do what you want!”

Yaku tears away the surprisingly modest brown paper eagerly. It's no surprise when the last of the paper is pulled away to reveal a framed photo, though the photo itself makes him pause. It takes him a few seconds to realize it's from that evening by the river in Osaka last month.

“Lev, is this one of the pictures you took?”

“ _Yes_ ,” he hisses defensively. “I even edited it myself. It's not as good as anything you do, but I did awesome for a beginner!”

Yaku stairs down at the photo of himself cradling a cicada they had found. Only the bottom half of his face is visible and he's grinning around words, though he can't quite recall what he was saying. The camera is tilted in a way that can't really be passed off as reasonably artsy, but Lev actually managed to get the beetle mostly in focus. The photo as a whole is a little blurry all around and the darkness from the mostly set sun caused the image to come out a bit grainy, but it's not completely terrible all things considered.

It _feels_ like a Lev photo. It's also probably the most romantic thing anyone's ever given him, and he's not sure if that's a point to Lev or proof of his own romantic failures.

“Yaku-san, this is embarrassing!”

“Thank you for this.” He looks up to see Lev with his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Yaku stands up, carefully slipping the photograph back into the bag and tossing all the crumpled paper into the trash bin.

“It's okay if you don't like it…I was gonna just buy something, but nothing felt right…”

Yaku bumps him with his hip.

“Shut up, I love it.”

Lev's smile is obnoxiously bright and he practically bounces the entire way to the noodle shop. The shop itself isn't very large, so spotting their party is easy. Of course Lev waves like they _didn't_ notice the giant white boy come in. Kuroo waves back like an asshole, but at least Lev doesn't seem to notice that the behead is being a douchebag.

“Yakkun! And his beloved puppy~”

“ _Hey!_ ”

Yaku shoves Lev down into an empty seat before he can make much of a fuss.

“Wow, you actually waited for us.”

“Of course!”

“He's ordered already,” Kenma mumbles from across the table. “You just got here quickly.”

Kuroo doesn't have the decency to look shameful, but that's nothing new. Kai mouths ‘ _sorry_ ’ from Kuroo’s side before returning to his phone.  At Lev's right, Tora greets the kid with an over enthusiastic high five. Fukunaga stares at them from Kenma’s other side.

“How's the kitten?”

Yaku sends Fukunaga a nasty glare. “I’m still mad at you.”

“I didn't do anything wrong, though...what’s so different between a regular cat and a Maine coon?”

“You should be ecstatic, Yakkun!” Yaku can feel the urge to kick Kuroo’s face in before he even finishes his thought. “After all, you like ‘em big.”

It's as though everything stops in that moment. The only thing he can hear is Lev hum in thought before letting out a tiny gasp of understanding. Kenma highs heavily.

The waitress takes the rest of their order not long after that. Luckily Tora picks the conversation up to talk about his buddy Tanaka and their end of summer plans. It somehow turns into a one-sided competition with Lev about their past vacations, but one look from Yaku is enough to get Tora back in line. Lev is confused but not discouraged, which seems to be his default state of being.

Once everyone's food is out, Kuroo holds out a bottle of sake towards Yaku.

“Are you sure you won't be drinking?”

The photographer shakes his head. When he glances over to see Lev's questioning look, he sighs.

“My therapist upped my medication. He also _strongly_ advised me to stop drinking because of it.”

“You'll die when Oikawa takes you out,” Kuroo points out. It's just as unhelpful as everything else he ever says.

“What'd you name the kitten?” Kenma barely speaks loud enough to be heard, but luckily Yaku has had years to adjust. “I hope it wasn't Kuroo’s idea…”

“Hey, I stand by Emperor Fluff Butt. You can call him Butt for short.”

“Then how would anyone know when we're talking about you?” One point to Kai.

“His name is...Totoro.”

Kenma gives a short nod of approval, though Kuroo makes a ‘ _so-so_ ’ gesture with his hand. Yaku doesn't need to look over to know Lev is staring intently at him as though the idiot just saw a unicorn shit a rainbow, he can practically _feel_ it.

“Shut up, Lev.”

“I didn't say anything!”

“No, but you're thinking something stupid.”

“You're so mean!”

Kuroo _tsks_ at them from across the table, shaking his head as though he's being disappointed by a couple of children.

“Yaku, you shouldn't be so aggressive with your kouhai. He might leave you for a taller, more handsome senpai.”

There's not much Yaku can do about the behead from across the table, so he settles for kicking his shin. Violence is never a long term solution, but the photographer feels temporarily satisfied by Kuroo's yelp. The asshole has the audacity to look offended.

He chances a glance at Lev, surprised at the lack of an embarrassing reply from his junior. Lev is looking thoughtfully down at him.

“Do you have something to say?” Yaku challenges reflexively.

A grin slowly makes its way to Lev's face, his eyes way too bright. “Nope.”

He narrows his eyes but doesn't push any further. Sometimes understanding Lev is more trouble than it's worth.

“Kai!” Tora practically shouts across the table. Lev's knees make an audible thump against the underside of the table as he jumps in surprise, Yaku and Kenma luckily too short for their knees to do the same. “If you've got a girlfriend or somethin’ then tell us!”

All eyes turn to Kai where he's looking sheepishly up from his phone. Yaku’s pretty sure he hasn't stopped fooling around on it since they arrived.

“Uh, sorry...”

“Is it a girl or not?!”

Kai shakes his head and assures them he isn't talking to any women, but Tora doesn't buy it. The rest of the night is Tora grilling Kai, Kuroo and Yaku getting mad at Tora, Fukunaga chatting with Lev about some random anime, and Kenma being kind enough to _not_ burn the restaurant down. They call it an evening when Tora is sufficiently drunk, but before they can part Kenma shoves a rather large gift bag at Yaku.

“It's mostly stuff for Totoro...from all of us.”

“Thanks, guys.”

With a shrug, Kenma shuffles off, Kuroo and Tora stumbling happily after him. Yaku says goodbye to the remaining three and heads off towards his apartment, ultimately deciding to walk; Tokyo is still fairly warm and it had only stopped raining a few minutes before they left, but Yaku’s legs feel restless. Still, it feels cooler now than it had when they'd left work, so there's that.

For some reason he just feels good today, and days like that can be hard to find.

It later turns out he really needed Tuesday, because Friday rolls around and suddenly Yaku is regretting all of his life choices. He gets a ping of social anxiety before he even gets back home to change. The two hours he spends with Totoro seem to help a bit, but then he's on his way to Oikawa's apartment and it just reminds him of what's to come.

“Yaku-san, why don't you just tell Oikawa-san you aren't feeling well?”

Lev frowns down at him as they stand outside of the apartment complex. He reaches forward, hesitates, then rests his hand on Yaku’s shoulder.

His fingers are so long and smooth...Yaku tries not to look.

_I do not have a fetish, and if I did, Lev would not fall into that category, damnit._

“I don't want to be rude. He's annoying as hell, but he's still my boss and, I guess, my friend.” He nudges Lev off of him. “I'll be fine. We'll hang out for like an hour, Oikawa will get drunk with…Terushima, probably, and then we'll abscond the fuck out of there.”

“Why couldn't you just invite Oikawa-san out to dinner? Or maybe to your place or something...I dunno.”

With a heavy sigh, Yaku worries his bottom lip between his teeth as he considers how much he should say. It doesn't seem like Lev is going anywhere anytime soon, so he might as well know.

“Have you ever noticed anything, I guess, _strained_ between Oikawa-san and Iwaizumi-san?”

He gives Lev a moment to think about it, but after what must be him going through every single relevant memory he has, the model shakes his head.

“Okay, well, this stays between us. I mean, it's not a national secret or anything, but I don't want you gossiping about them.” Yaku doesn't continue until he's given a firm nod of agreement. “Their relationship has been kinda up and down this past year. You know Oikawa-san works a lot. Well, Iwaizumi-san hates that. I'm sure there's more I don't know, but Iwaizumi-san is staying with a friend right now.”

“Oh. Damn...do you think they'll be okay…?”

Yaku shrugs. “Hanamaki-san seems to think they'll get over it, so I'll trust his judgment. Oikawa-san and Iwaizumi-san were childhood friends, so they've been together for a long time. Maybe they just need space to work through some shit, I dunno. But Oikawa-san is going through it, so if it'll make him feel better, I'll let him take me out to…whatever the fuck club we're going.”

“Yaku-san is a good friend.”

The photographer pushes Lev away with a grunt as he goes to unlock the passcode protected door. The model bumps into him on their way into the apartment complex, a grin on his stupid face. It isn't until they're in the elevator that Yaku realizes something.

“Uh, Lev. Have you ever even _been_ to a club?”

Grin still present, Lev shakes his head no.

“Mori!” The two step through the elevator into Oikawa's flat to find Terushima waving them over from the leather couch. Next to him Akaashi sits lightly as though he’s ready to bolt away at any moment. “Keiji and I were just talking about you.”

“I don't wanna hear it.”

Terushima scoffs. “Not everything I say is inappropriate, you know.”

As the new arrivals cross the room, Yaku ushers Lev onto the free couch across from the odd pair. He can't help raising his eyebrow at Akaashi.

“I thought you'd be on Iwaizumi-san’s side through this…?”

With a sigh, the ice king rolls his eyes, though he seems more exhausted than frustrated.

“It's not exactly the type of thing you can take sides on. I might not agree with Oikawa completely, but I understand his reasoning.” His dark eyes flick between the two across from him before fixing his gaze on Lev. “There is a time and a place for everything, however. How have you been, Haiba-san?”

Lev seems startled at being addressed. He stares wide-eyed at Akaashi for an awkwardly long moment before shuffling his feet.

“Um...fine…”

It's odd to see Lev so at a loss for what to say and hesitant to speak about himself until Yaku remembers the first and only night the two had ever met. Jealousy. In this case, though, he kind of understands it. It's pretty unanimously accepted that Akaashi is unnaturally attractive. After knowing him for so long, Yaku’s fairly certain that half of that attraction is the man's ‘ _I couldn't care less even if I tried, though I definitely won't_ ’ attitude.

Akaashi’s eyes narrow at the subpar response.

“Morisuke-kun has told me a bit about you since the two of you have started working together. Are you enjoying it?”

“Uhh…yeah. Working with Yaku-san is a lot of fun.”

“ _Fun_?” Akaashi questions, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. “I've worked with him myself and known him for quite a while. Not many people would describe it as being ‘ _fun_.’”

“Hey!”

Akaashi easily dismisses Yaku’s complaint with a glance and a shrug. He's not _wrong,_ but _still._

“I mean, yeah, he's bossy...but he's not mean or anything. And it's not like it hurts if he hits you.”

“ _That's because I'm not trying to hurt you_.”

“Why are you threatening me when I'm defending you?!”

“Is Mori-chan acting up already?”

They hadn't noticed the bedroom door open from the other end of the flat, but now Oikawa stands in the doorway with phone in hand. There's a smile on his face, but even from here he looks completely drained.

“Wow, everyone got so quiet all of a sudden.” Flipping his hair like the peacock he is, Oikawa makes his way into the living room like nothing is wrong, a skill he is especially talented at. “I was wondering if you'd bring your shadow tonight, Mori-chan~”

There's a short beat of silence, an odd tension in the air as everyone asks questions in their head that they aren't sure how to say. Everyone but Terushima, that is.

“Everything okay? Like, all things considered─OW!”

The underwear model rubs his arm where Akaashi had struck him. Terushima makes an attempt to scowl at him, but not many men can withstand the sheer intensity of Akaashi’s glare.

“C'mon you two,” the editor sighs. He makes his way to the open kitchen at the other side of the flat to rummage through the cabinets. “It's fine. Iwa-chan was just checking on me.” Oikawa loads a serving tray with fancy drinking glasses that probably cost as much as Yaku’s entire set of kitchen appliances. “So you can all stop acting like I'm getting a divorce, alright? Besides, tonight isn't about me~”

“True, true…tonight is about getting wasted and finding a hunk to go home with.”

Akaashi narrows his eyes at the man next to him with a sneer. “Do you ever put the breaks on?”

The tray of alcohol and a bottle of soda are placed on the coffee table between them. Oikawa pours their drinks while Terushima tempts fate telling Akaashi that he probably needs to get laid the most.

“You just seem so stressed lately, babe. Have you had any hookups since you got back to Japan?”

“Ooooo, that's something I'd love to know as well~”

“Knock it off, guys,” Yaku scolds as he snatches two glasses from Oikawa. He hands the second to Lev with a brief look that he hopes conveys _‘break this glass and I will kill you’_ before pointing at Terushima accusingly. “Also, what's this I've heard about you and some new guy? Didn't you _just_ give up on some asshole?”

The man in question sips his drink, sending Yaku a pointed look over the rim of his glass.

“Oh, please. That was, like, a month ago. I can't dwell on the past for too long.” Terushima clicks his tongue after a moment of pause, waving his free hand dismissively. “Seriously, though. This guy is just a friend, okay? We're still getting to know each other...plus, I'm pretty sure he's straight.”

Everyone but Lev makes their own sound of sympathy, each knowing all too well the struggle of liking straight men.

“He's a lot of fun, though, so there's that. It was getting tiring being a third wheel to everyone.”

Oikawa taps his fingers against the glass of the coffee table. “Just don't fall for him and get hurt again...no man is worth it.”

“Men aren't worth the hassle, period.” Akaashi downs his drink in one go, indifferent expression never changing. “Gay, straight, bi. They're terrible things.”

“What does that make you, Keiji?” Yaku questions.

“Haven't you heard? I'm the absolute worst.”

Terushima toasts to that, his own drink gone in a matter of seconds. Oikawa shakes his head as he refills their glasses. For someone who pays six-hundred and fifty thousand yen a month on a single bedroom living space and way too much on fine dining, it always confused Yaku that Oikawa still prefers getting buzzed at home to racking up a bar bill.

“Girl.” Terushima grabs Akaashi’s knee, his expression unusually serious. “Let me hook you up. I know this really cool guy, he's the head chef at─”

“No.”

“Aww, _c'mon_. This dude is _ripped_.”

“And I'm sure that whoever he ends up with will greatly enjoy that.” Akaashi turns back to the quiet pair on the opposite couch, an obvious indication that he's done with Terushima’s shit. “Did you invite him?”

“Nope. I brought this one─” Yaku points to the man on his left “─but not Teru-kun.”

“Why y'all gotta do me like this?!”

Terushima throws his arms up, his glass luckily empty. Oikawa reaches over the table to pat his knee reassuringly, though there's a small grin on his face that seems to be genuine. Hopefully it's a sign that he really is doing alright.

“So Haiba-san.”

Once again, Lev tenses at being addressed by Akaashi. For a moment Yaku wonders if he's nervous at all by the unfamiliar situation, but considering everything else they've done without any issues, it's probably just because of Akaashi.

“Everyone just calls me Lev…”

“Haiba-kun, you're rather young, aren't you? Twenty, I believe?”

“Twenty-one, actually…”

Akaashi gives him a blank look. Really, Yaku is surprised the man in attempting to be polite at all.

“You're still fairly young compared to the rest of us. Most of Morisuke’s friends are closer to his age. It doesn't get boring for you?”

“ _Kei-chan just called us all old…_ ” Oikawa mutters.

“Honey, you _are_ old,” Terushima stage whispers back. One moment the television remote is on the table, and the next it's hitting Terushima in the shoulder.

With a chuckle and an eye roll, Yaku looks up at his companion, clapping him on the knee.

“Yeah, Lev. Do all the old people bore you?”

The model blows him a raspberry, his eyes crinkling at the edges. Yaku knows he's smiling wider than he should be, but he can't help it.

“I've come to understand that old people are only boring if they choose to be. Yaku-san knows a lot of cool people. Maybe he will learn from them…”

“ _Hey!_ ”

They next hour seems to fly by as Oikawa and Terushima argue about absolute bullshit while Akaashi continues to practically interview Lev. The younger model seems to take most of the questions as a challenge. Akaashi is patient and seems to roll with the dumbest of answers, though it's when Lev begins rambling on and on like he forgot that conversations involve two people is when the older model begins showing signs of irritation. Which is, frankly, always hilarious.

“Your oversized boyfriend is _annoying_ ,” Akaashi informs Yaku as they make their way deeper downtown. Ahead of them, Lev is being dragged along by a more than tipsy Terushima, Oikawa laughing not far behind them. “He's not the type of person I would have guessed you'd go for.”

He watches Oikawa stumble forward into Terushima, Lev barely managing to keep the two upright. Luckily he seems more amused than off-put.

“Who says I like him like that…”

The eye roll he receives is practically audible Akaashi does it so hard.

“It was obvious that he was infatuated with you, but after a while of hearing you talk about him, I had my suspicions. Seeing you two together now, only an idiot wouldn't notice that it's mutual.” There's a moment of silence between them as they watch the men ahead of them attempt a very wobbly single-file line. “...What are you going to do about it, then? Since you obviously haven't made a move yet.”

Yaku purses his lips together with a heavy sigh through his nose.

“Really, I thought _he_ would have done something by now. But even if he did...I dunno…”

“What?” the model scoffs. “What's there to not know? You like one another and there's nothing in the way, so you date. It's quite simple.”

“Is it though? I just...worry. What if he only likes me because I'm convenient? I mean _look_ at us. He's so...tall and stupidly handsome, and I'm just... _me_.”

The words sound so strange being spoken out loud instead of just in his head. It also sounds so incredibly pathetic once he finally admits it to another person. He can't say he doesn't know Lev at this point; three months is a long time when you spend almost every day together. He thought maybe things would calm down after they started hanging out outside of work, but Lev just got more charming with his stupid cargo shorts showing off his ridiculously long legs and his awful, adorable smile when he gets excited.

“Morisuke.”

It's another few steps before Yaku realizes Akaashi has stopped. Turning back to face him, the photographer's brow furrows in confusion.

“When you say such things about yourself...do you really have such little faith in others?” Akaashi sighs. Then, he shakes his head and continues walking. “Some things are only as complicated as you make them. Don't hurt this boy because you refuse to stop being so stubborn…”

“Keiji?”

The model keeps walking until he's close enough to put an arm around Oikawa's waist. Once Lev notices the new addition, he looks back at Yaku with a smile.

_Am I being stubborn?_

He smiles back and it's good enough for Lev who turns back to properly lead his stumbling party. He's glad Oikawa didn't go all out at the apartment because Yaku has absolutely no idea where they're going.

“Oikawa-san, are you sure this is the place?” They've stopped outside of a fairly inconspicuous looking building (apart from the bouncers, crowd of party goers, and muffled yet violently thumping music) that Yaku definitely does not recognize as any gay club he's ever been to. “I know or establishments are periodically ruined, but I'm not going to a _straight_ club.”

“What's wrong with a regular club?”

“There are way more straight people there, Lev. Keep up. Unless you want girls trying to climb you like a damn tree.”

Lev's face goes blank for a moment before he shakes his head, brows drawn together in a serious expression.

“Mori, chill out!” Terushima chides. “Girls won't give you scrubs a second glance with _me_ there, anyway…but this place is new, so it's as gay as you're gonna get.”

“Not like you're looking to pick anyone up, Mori-chan…”

With a sigh, Yaku rolls his eyes. He knows his friends understand the struggle of having their safe spaces taken from them, but they do their best not to let it get them down. He can't blame them.

He feels someone nudging his foot and looks down to see a shoe much larger than his own.

“You gonna pick up any guys, Yaku-san?”

He looks up into Lev's grinning face.

“You're gonna be my man repellant, okay?”

Green eyes widen as Lev opens and closes his mouth. At some point their group found the line, Yaku pulling out his ID and Lev clumsily fumbling to copy in his confusion.

“Then...you’ll be mine, too…”

“As if. Nobody that's interested in _you_ is gonna think we're together.”

They both flash their ID’s and move through the double glass doors. Inside, Oikawa has already paid their entry fees and is dragging an eager Terushima and a reluctant Akaashi into the crowd. After getting their hands stamped, a body presses against Yaku and he looks back up to emerald eyes, though they're more blue in the dim, strobing lights.

“You, uh…”

Lev leans down a bit, the music blaring through the distance between them. The model seems to underestimate their height difference, so Yaku reaches up and pulls him down by the collar so that he doesn't have to yell as much.

“You don't really have to stick with me if you don't want to.”

The vibrations of the bass must be fucking with his body because as Lev stares intently at him, Yaku is hyper aware of the beating in his chest.

_When did he get so close?_

“I came here to be with you!”

It's too hard to breathe in this place.

They wander further into to the building to stand just off of the dance floor. It's difficult to make out in the dim, flashing light and the crowd of erratically moving people, but Yaku eventually spots their group at the other end of the dance floor. Oikawa and Terushima are grinding together with Akaashi doing his best to ignore their shit-eating grins.

Even with the air conditioning blasting through the building it's almost as hot inside as it is outside. How anyone can stand to be drunk and packed together in this heat is beyond Yaku.

“I can see why you don't like it, Yaku-san,” Lev yells down at him. “The lights are giving me a headache.”

They have to shuffle closer together to avoid being shoved out of the way by passing drunks. Yaku instinctively brings his hands up to rest against Lev's torso to keep them from being pressed flat together. The contact still makes his stomach do flips.

“Do you want to find somewhere less seizure inducing?”

“What about Oikawa-san and the others?”

“Keiji won't let anything happen.”

Yaku grabs Lev by the wrist and leads him back through the crowd and up the stairs to the second floor. The club is unfamiliar, but he just really needs to move. There luckily aren't as many people here since it lacks a dance floor, instead being a place for lounging on numerous white leather couches spread neatly along the walls in u-shaped booths. The lighting is better up here, but he's not sure if more visibility is an improvement with how red he's sure he is.

He could really use a drink right now.

“Ooo, it's not as bad up here. The bass is still shaking my bones, though. Are these places always this loud?”

With a nod Yaku leads him to one of the few vacated booths near the back of the room. It's just enough out of the way to keep them partially hidden.

“Won't the others have a hard time finding us?” Lev asks once they're situated on the couch. He still has to raise his voice, but not nearly as much as he did downstairs.

“Nope. Teru-kun and Oikawa-san have superhuman abilities that allow them to locate you, even if you're trying to avoid them.”

“That superpower is either really awesome or really lame depending on how you look at it…”

Their thighs knock together under the table, but Lev doesn't make a move to separate them. There's tons of room on either side of them, yet their shoulders are practically touching.

“I can see why you don't like places like this, though. It's really loud and downstairs is so... _strobe lights_.” He leans ever so slightly so that their shoulders actually bump together. “Are you going to be okay?”

“Huh? Ah, I should be fine...if anything happens and I wanna leave, I've got some people I could always call to come look after the guys.”

“So responsible…”

Lev leans forward to rest his chin in his hands, bobbing gently to the beat. The second story doesn't really have a dance floor, but that doesn't stop people from trying.

From their corner they can see two men stumbling by doing their best to navigate to a table without breaking apart. Lev cranes his neck to watch until they're out of sight.

“...It's so weird how much you gotta hide stuff like this, but you come to one place and everyone's just so… _comfortable_.” He leans back against the leather and catches Yaku’s gaze. “Do these places really get ruined so easily?”

“Yeah, kinda...I mean, it takes a while.” He sighs as he considers his words. Yaku reaches out to gently tug at the elastic band of beads on Lev's wrist absentmindedly. “But eventually word gets out and straight people come in because it's trendy and cool to go to the gay bar or the gay club. It's _progressive,_ or something. But the best of intentions don't change the fact that safe places for us don't last very long...I've been hit on by more women at gay bars than men these days. It's…awkward.” He rubs at the back of his head as memories pass through his mind. “Do you know how humiliating it is to put yourself out there and hit on a guy for him to look at you like you're a freak and tell you he's ‘ _not like that?’ At a gay bar._ ”

There's a lull in the music as it transitions into a new song and suddenly everything just sounds so _loud_. The shouts of Friday night party goers getting the attention of their friends, the crowd of people just below them on the dance floor, people laughing at the second floor bar.

Yaku flinches when warm hand is gently laid over his own; Lev's hand is much larger and easily covers it with his slender, delicate fingers.

_Why didn't I bring my camera._

“I've never really had the courage to do something like that…”

Yaku turns his head towards his companion, but he can't bring himself to actually look at him.

“How'd you meet your ex, then?”

Lev’s fingers clench for a moment over his hand before relaxing again. Yaku gets the impression that it's a touchy subject, but he's been curious since Lev first mentioned it. Who he was, what he was like, what happened between them.

“He...I guess I give off a vibe or something because he approached me out of the blue. It was my first photo shoot last year…” His voice trails off and Yaku can barely hear the words over the music. He finally looks up, but Lev seems to be lost in thought as he stares intently ahead. Suddenly his attention snaps back to the photographer, though there's a crease in his brow and his lips are pursed together. “Yaku-san, when did you know?”

“I kind of always knew. I didn't really accept it until I was fifteen or so.”

Lev hums for a moment in thought. “It didn't really hit me until I graduated. I was really eager to finally meet a girl I'd want to date, but once high school ended and that never happened, it was like...oh. _Ohhhhhhhhh!_ ”

Yaku doesn't mean to laugh, but he snickers anyway.

“Don't be mean, Yaku-san! It’s been kinda hard for me...I didn't really have anyone to talk to about this stuff with...there’s a lot I still don't understand…”

“You'll pick it up, kid.”

“M’not a kid…”

As he huffs a laugh, Yaku pulls his hand away from Lev's to pinch his cheek.

“Look at this baby face, though!”

_“Yaku-saaaaaaaaaan!”_

Yaku’s eye catches a pair of women out of his peripheral vision as they tentatively approach their table. He lets go of Lev's cheek, his mood dropping before the girls even speak.

“Excuse me, sir.” The bolder of the two is a pretty young woman who waits until Lev finally realises he's being talked to. “You're that mixed model, aren't you? The half Russian?”

“Yes! That's me!”

It isn't the first time Lev has been recognized out in public, but he always seems just as excited about it. Any opportunity to talk someone's ear off is an opportunity that Lev will not miss.

“I thought so! There aren't many of your kind around.”

There can be a downside, though.

“Could we join you two?”

“Actually, we're saving these seats for our friends.” Yaku says it reflexively, but when the two girls look to him for the first time like _he's_ crashing _their_ conversation, he can already feel his stomach twisting. Maybe he shouldn't have agreed to come. “There's a few of us.”

“Well, we'll move when they get here. Don't mind us!”

Much to Yaku’s displeasure, both girls scoot into the booth on Lev's other side, thankfully not settling in too close to him. They introduce themselves to Lev with shy smiles so fake they must have been practiced.

“Do you come here often? This is our first time,” asks the girl furthest away. “It's been a lot of fun so far, though~”

“This is my first time, too. I didn't even realize this place was here.”

Silently gritting his teeth, Yaku does his best not to glare. Damn Lev and his inhuman ability to talk to unwelcome strangers.

“It's strange, though, there are so many...um... _open_ people here.”

“Open…?”

“She means gay, Lev.”

The girls look at one another as though he had just said something delightfully scandalous.

“Oh. But...this _is_ a gay club, so…?”

“Well yeah, but I didn't think there would be so _many_ of them.”

“It's great that they have somewhere that they can act like normal people.”

The girls nod to themselves as though she had just said the most profound statement of the century. It's cut short once realization finally washes over the quieter of the two and she looks wide-eyed up at Lev.

“Are you…?”

The air suddenly seems thicker than it had been before.

“Like I said, we're here with friends,” the photographer interjects. “I'm starting to get worried about them, though, so if you'll excuse us.”

Yaku begins the award scoot out of the booth with Lev close behind. He doesn't look back, just grabs Lev's wrist once he thinks they're out of sight of the booth and heads in a random direction. There's a hallway on the other side of the floor from the stairs and he's thankful to find that it leads outside onto a balcony overlooking outdoor seating.

He leans against the metal railing and stares down at nothing in particular. The air is hot, but the breeze is a godsend, and after a few deep breaths it's as though a weight is slowly lifting from his chest.

When did he stop breathing properly?

There's a warmth that presses against the small of his back, a hand gently spreading over the fabric of his shirt.

“...I need a drink.”

“Should we go…?”

Taking a deep, steady breath, Yaku lets it out slowly before burying his face in his hands. His cheeks are so hot.

“I'm sorry, Lev...sometimes I'm fine, but then sometimes I'm not...it might be the change in my medication, I don't fucking know…”

“It's fine. Just breathe.”

“Don't tell me what to do, behemoth.”

Somewhat awkwardly Lev rubs his thumb up and down against Yaku’s spine. The contact is unfamiliar but still comforting.

“It was my fault those girls talked to us…”

“Hush, you. Handsome people shouldn't cry about being handsome. It's obnoxious.”

He can feel as Lev shifts forward to lean around him. Yaku turns his head to see Lev grinning sideways at him.

“You think I'm handsome?”

“Of course I do, dummy,” he replies with an exaggerated eye roll. “You're a full-body model, you'd have to be handsome. Even if you still have a baby face half of the time.”

“Yaku-san, you pick on me so much someone's gonna start thinking you have feelings for me.”

“Wouldn't _you_ like that.”

The smile fades from Lev's face, his expression turning serious as his eyes seem to lock onto Yaku.

When did Lev start making his heart beat like this? Damn him and his stupid birthday present making Yaku feel stupid feelings.

“Yeah, I really would.”

It's too fucking hot outside for this shit.

“Lev, I think we need to talk about─”

“Lev?”

Despite how eccentric he usually is, Yaku has never seen the model's overall demeanor change so quickly; his eyes go wide, mouth falls slightly open, and he goes rigid as his eyes focus on someone behind Yaku. The photographer turns his head and is surprised to find a familiar face walking towards them.

“It _is_ you, Lev.” Ishikawa Sho, famous veteran runway model, grins at them once he's stopped just a foot away. He looks Yaku up and down shamelessly. “A year later and this is the best you can do?”

The hand at the small of his back grips at the fabric of his shirt as Lev shifts to hide behind him. It's obviously a fruitless action, but so out of character that Yaku knows he's missing something important.

“I'm sorry, who are you?” Yaku asks with a condescending smile.

Ishikawa’s grin turns malicious as his eyes narrow down at the photographer. He's not as tall as Lev, but he's still got at least half a foot on Yaku.

Seriously, fuck all these tall people.

“Ishikawa Sho, Lev's ex. It's a pleasure to meet you…”

“Yaku Morisuke.”

They shake hands briefly and with more force than is necessary. Lev doesn't let go of Yaku’s shirt.

“It's nice to meet you, Ishikawa-san, but Lev and I are rather busy.”

“Oh really? It looks to me like you're just standing around killing time. It's been a full year since I last saw Lev. We've got so much to catch up on.”

Yaku turns to look back at the man in question, but his already pale face is milk white and his breathing shaky. Without thinking about it, Yaku puts his arm around Lev's waist.

“I'm sorry, but we've got somewhere to be. Please excuse us.”

He pulls Lev around Ishikawa and down the metal stairs to the smoking area down below. There's a door that leads back inside behind the dance floor and Yaku pulls him into the building. There are luckily bathrooms just inside, so Yaku locks them in the first available one.

Inside the small room the blaring music and shouts of the crowd are muffled enough that he can now clearly hear Lev's laboured breathing.

“Lev…”

Yaku brings up his hands before he's sure what to do with them, but Lev closes the space between them. His back is curved so that he can bury his face in Yaku’s neck as his hands grip the sides of the photographer's shirt. The breath against his collar is hot and heavy and he's hit with the scent of Lev's deodorant. It smells like dryer sheets.

After a moment of hesitation Yaku rests one hand against Lev's back and tentatively begins stroking the back of the model's head with the other. Lev's hair is thin but ridiculously soft and smooth.

“Hey...can you talk to me…?”

The body leaned against him tenses before shaking in a silent sob. After a moment Lev leans even harder into Yaku as he finally lets out a whine as the tears break through.

Yaku doesn't know what else he can do but hold his friend tighter as he lets it all out.

Lev's breath finally evens back out and he stops shaking before he finally speaks in a hoarse voice.

“Sorry, Yaku-san…”

“Don't apologize when you haven't done anything.”

He listens to Lev's breathing through the low bass still audible from the main room. His shirt is probably soaked.

“I, uh...I didn't think I'd see…”

“You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.”

“I wanna tell you…it's just hard…”

Cupping Lev's face in his hands, Yaku gently pulls him away to get a good look at his flushed, tear-streaked face. His eyes are puffy and red and he's never looked more vulnerable than he does right now.

Yaku doesn't know what Ishikawa has done, but he wants to run the bastard over with a semi truck.

“C’mere…”

He gently pushes Lev closer to the sink and dabs at his face with a moist bunch of toilet paper. Lev stands there quietly and obediently until Yaku is satisfies.

“Yaku-san...can we go…? I just wanna leave…”

“Of course. Give me a minute, okay?”

Yaku pulls out his phone and gives Kuroo a quick call to come chaperone the rest of their group so that they can leave without worry. He leads Lev out of the bathroom, through the hall, around the dance floor, and back out into the night past stumbling, drunken club patrons. He waits until they're at least a block away to stop and turn his attention back to Lev.

“Hey. You gonna be okay?”

“Yeah…”

Lev gives him a weak, tired smile.

“So…what do you want to do now? Do you want to take a cab home?”

“Can I...go home with you…?”

The question is barely above a whisper and Lev's shoulders are slumped as though he's afraid of rejection.

How could Yaku possibly reject him.

“Do you want a cab?”

“Can we walk…?”

“It's a bit far, but if you want to.”

He takes a step backwards, turning on his heel in the general direction of his apartment. He hears Lev shuffle behind him before he feels gentle fingers against the inside of his wrist. Yaku whips his head around to see Lev worrying the inside of his cheek.

“Yaku-san, can I hold your hand?”

His heart is beating way too fast again.

“Yeah.”

Lev’s hand slides down to meet his, long fingers wasting no time intertwining with Yaku’s. The model's eyes are still red and his shoulders still slumped, but the contact seems to comfort him at least a little bit.

They go along at a leisurely pace after pulling out their phones to play Pokemon, though even that doesn't put the spring back in Lev's step.

An hour later they're finally entering the dark apartment, careful so that Totoro doesn't make an escape. Yaku gives his guest a shirt that is hopefully large enough for Lev's long torso and a pair of loose shorts that will definitely be too short, but he's honestly too mentally exhausted to care.

They give Totoro a few pats but waste little time retreating to bed; they've shared one before, so Yaku pushes Lev towards the bedroom without wasting the energy talking about it. It's not the biggest bed, but it's at least longer than the couch.

Yaku is quick in the bathroom, but Lev's already curled up under the covers when he returns. He turns off the light and climbs in to bed, careful not to invade his guest's personal space.

Once he's settled in there's a long beat of silence through the apartment before there's a rustling of covers and shift in the mattress next to him.

“Yaku-san…?”

“Yeah?”

There's a feather light touch against his arm under the covers.

“I just...I want you to know you're important to me. We'll stay friends for a long time, won't we?”

“Yeah...I think we will.”

He feels around under the covers until the back of his hand is resting against Lev’s shoulder. He’s too tired to think much about it, but Lev sighs gently at the contact.

“I'm glad.”

Even though his body is more than ready for sleep, Yaku finds himself laying there with a million things swirling around in his mind. There’s so much he wants to finally talk about with Lev, but as the young man starts snoring steadily as he drifts off to sleep, Yaku eventually finds himself being pulled right along with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY, AMIRITE??? Sorry it's been so long...I took a whole month to work on a KyouHaba story and finish prepping for a convention. Then the convention was last month and that took a lot out of me...I started writing this chapter and it was so extremely difficult??? I think because it touches on a lot of shit, I just spent hours staring at my phone like "fuck." BUT HERE WE ARE. 10k fucking words, holy hell. I hope it's worth the wait, cause I know it killed me to write DX
> 
> As always, you can find my writing Tumblr @[MonkWrites](http://monkwrites.tumblr.com).


	6. Well that got personal quick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Yaku-san...how do you know who's the top and who’s the bottom?”

By the next morning, Yaku couldn't bring himself to ask about the brief exchange at the club. He tried to breach the subject of their relationship, but Lev's eyes were uncharacteristically dull, and so he chickened out each time. He wasn't really sure what he wanted to say, anyway. Even now, after several days, he isn't sure what he wants to say.

“ _Lev_ ,” he snaps. The man in question whips his head around to look at him. “You're not making this any easier.”

“Sorry, Yaku-san.”

Lev shuffles back over to where he's supposed to be with bright eyes. He goes back to fiddling with the sleeve of his open shirt, but Yaku slaps his hand away to fix it for the tenth time.

“Seriously, this girl is pretty new, so you better be on your best behavior.” His whisper is just loud enough for Lev to hear it up in the clouds. Behind them, said woman is fiddling nervously with her camera as she patiently waits for Lev to be ready. Again. “You did pretty well at your last shoot without me, didn't you?”

“Sorry, Yaku-san...I'm just excited! I'm hanging out with Hinata and Inuoka-kun today and Hinata got Kenma-san to come!”

“What's so special about Kenma?” he teases.

With a hum, Lev takes a moment to consider his answer. “I dunno, he's just cool? And he's smart, too.”

“Do you have a crush on him or something?”

“What?!” From Lev's expression you'd think Yaku just asked him to go streak naked through the nearest park. “No??”

Yaku pats him on the shoulder with a snicker, though he's also very aware that all eyes are on them.

“I'm kidding. You and Kenma aren't remotely compatible. He'd totally kill you.”

“Kuroo-san isn't dead yet.”

He shakes his head, though there's a faint grin on his face as he smooths out the wrinkles on Lev's sleeves. For some reason the idiot won't stop rolling them up.

“Parasites are difficult to get rid of...now will you please behave for this woman? I'm gonna go grab a drink.”

“Yaku-san is wonderful for offering to bring me milk~”

With an exaggerated eye roll Yaku takes his leave just beyond the curtains that confine the shooting area. He snatches his phone from his bag and goes ahead and grabs Lev's as well to open up Pokemon Go on both of their devices. The warning telling him not to play and drive has only just popped up when there's an unexpected cough right behind him. He barely manages not to drop both phones in his surprise.

He turns around, brows drawn together in confusion as to who could possibly want his attention, and his eyes go wide.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!”

There's a woman several inches taller than he is smiling down at him. She's got long, pale blonde hair, milky skin, and bright, mismatched eyes.

“It's no problem. You're Alisa-san, right?”

She blinks at him a few times in surprise.

“I am! So Lev has mentioned me~?”

“Of course he has. He adores you.” Yaku shifts both phones into his left hand, one on top of the other, and holds his right hand out to her. “It's nice to meet you. I'm Yaku Morisuke.”

She accepts his hand eagerly in her own; he didn't think anyone's hands could be softer than Lev's, but he was very wrong.

“Oh, I know all about you! You know how Lev is. He goes on and on~” She takes a peek around the heavy curtains, though she quickly bounces back to avoid being seen. “I didn't expect to see you here, though. My father isn't making you shadow Lev everywhere, is he?”

“No. Lev asked if I'd come since there isn't much for me to do at work right now. I, uh, was just gonna find a vending machine. Would you like anything?”

“I'll accompany you, if that's alright~”

The way Alisa smiles at him is almost fond. He isn't sure if she's just friendly or if he's missing something.

On their way through the halls of the building he notices her sneaking glances where he's still holding Lev's phone underneath of his own. He's suddenly aware of how suspicious this must look.

“Do you play this game?” He moves Lev's phone to his other hand to show her the screen. “Lev wants me to play for him when he's busy…”

“Ooooh he's mentioned that you two play together~” Her ever present smile widens and it's almost bizarre how much she and her brother look alike. “I'm so glad you two are getting along! Lev was very excited when he found out he would be working with you.”

He's thought back to that day many times and still can't believe Lev actually _liked_ working with him. Akaashi wasn't wrong when he said nobody thought working with Yaku was any fun.

The two spot a vending machine down another hallway and make a b-line towards it. Alisa waits patiently for Yaku to make his purchases before speaking up again.

“Father sometimes tells me what you say about my brother...you seem to take this very seriously.”

Alisa doesn't make any motion to move as she stands with her hands clasped together at the waist. Her posture is just as perfect as the rest of her, though her shoulders seem to be tense.

“...Of course I take it seriously. Work is work.”

“And Lev really is doing well...? You put him to work and he doesn't give you any problems??”

He raises an eyebrow up at her.

“Like I've told your dad, Lev does just fine. He's gotten a lot better since he first started working with me.” Yaku shifts his weight to the right as he cocks his head to the side. “I don't give him pointless busy work just to keep him out of the way, if that's what you're implying.”

Her eyes widen at his blunt statement and he's worried he may have offended her. After a moment she lets out a sigh of relief, the tension in her shoulders going with the breath.

“I'm sorry, but I'm sure you understand my concern?”

Straightening back up, he shrugs his shoulders.

“I heard about your brother before I met him, and like I've told your dad, he really isn't so bad. Working with him now, he's still not that bad. Frustrating at times, but he's eager to learn and he does his best.”

Alisa smiles at him again. Once again he can't help seeing her brother.

He's pretty sure these people can't be biologically related to their father. In fact, he's starting to think they were cloned in a secret government laboratory that specializes in making ridiculously attractive white people for some secret, malicious purpose.

There are no other logical explanations.

“We should get back before Lev thinks I've ditched him.”

She nods her agreement and then they're off, only getting partially lost on their way back. Lev's eyes light up when he sees Yaku return with milk in hand. Alisa hangs back just out of sight.

It takes Yaku pointing threateningly at Lev to get him to stay put for the poor photographer, but it quickly becomes apparent that milk is the only thing on Lev's mind. He won't stop watching Yaku sipping at his tea no matter how hard he tries...and knowing Lev, he's giving it everything he's got.

As soon as the photographer calls for a break Lev practically dashes to Yaku’s spot near the curtains. He eagerly accepts his milk box with bright eyes. Is he really a man, or just an overgrown toddler?

It's not until after he's poked the straw into the box and started sipping away happily that he notices the woman just off behind the curtain.

When he sputters, Yaku is thankful that only a little bit of milk makes contact with his face. He isn't happy, but he was honestly expecting an overdramatic spit take.

“ _Alisa!_ ”

“ _Lyovochka!_ ”

The model looks like he's about to pounce on his sister, but his look of excitement quickly turns suspicious.

“You haven't been telling Yaku-san anything embarrassing about me, have you??”

Alisa scoffs at the accusation, though there's a smirk on her face that makes Lev's eyes go wide. “I'm just here to cheer on my little brother!”

Lev's eyes narrow.

“Well damnit, Lev. Now I'm curious.”

The model’s attention snaps down to Yaku. His brow is furrowed with a stern frown on his face.

“ _Has our time together so far not been enough for you?_ ”

“Lev. I'm beginning to think I like you just a little bit, so it might be hard when Iwaizumi-san inevitably kills you. I need more to remember you by. Preferably something humorous to get me through a hard thirty minutes of grieving.”

“You are a cold, heartless little man.”

“Don't speak to your senpai like that.”

Alisa covers her mouth to stifle a laugh. She watches her brother, expression gentle and fond, until Yaku eventually ushers him back to his chair.

One hour later and they're waiting in the lobby of the building for Lev to return from the restroom. Alisa sways her hips just enough for her long, flowing skirt to swoosh around her knees.

“You must have the patience of a saint. I'm so glad my brother found someone like you to work with~”

Yaku rubs at the back of his neck with an awkward shrug. Being praised for putting up with Lev's shit always feels a bit weird.

“No, he...he really isn't _that_ bad. He's doing really well for someone with no real work experience, so…”

_Give the guy some credit._

“Oh, but he's just had a great amount of difficulty, you know? Even as a child he was a handful. We were always getting calls from school about him disrupting class or not paying attention...he’d even just walk off sometimes!”

She leans in just a bit, but in that moment he realizes just how _close_ they are. In that moment he realizes he's suddenly bothered by it.

He would very much like to go back to five minutes ago when he _wasn't_ bothered by it. It was truly a better time.

“He does his best, but not many people see that.”

“Yeah…”

Alisa’s eyes focus in on him with an intensity he hasn't seen from her yet. He tells himself not to look away, but it's difficult when she's so close and he's so antsy.

He's pretty sure she can see straight into his soul with how fucking hard she's staring at him.

“You two weren't talking about me, were you??” Lev slides between them, physically pushing the two apart.

With a barrier between himself and Alisa, it's a little easier for Yaku to relax. Lev's fingers ghost against the small of his back for just a moment, but he's pretty sure Lev thinks he's being sly.

The only logical reaction is to pinch Lev's side, causing the model to jerk away.

“ _Ow,_ Yaku-san is so mean!”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

Yaku claps Lev on the back and leads them out of the building into the subsiding August heat. Though it's still warm, the sky is overcast and it's apparent that it will rain soon.

As Alisa praises her little brother, she looks up to the sky with a frown.

“Are you coming home with me, Lev?”

Lev follows her gaze for a moment before checking the time on his phone with a thoughtful hum.

“It's not very late…I'm gonna stay with Yaku-san.”

“I'm just going home,” Yaku informs them.

“I wanna come, too!”

Alisa turns her concerned look to Yaku for just a moment before giving her brother a smile.

“Lev, you can't just invite yourself along all the time.” Her voice is still sweet, but she seems like an over-lenient parent attempting to reason with a spoiled child. “What if Yaku-san wants alone time, or maybe to see his girlfriend?”

Without a thought, both men simultaneously reply.

“I don't have a girlfriend.”

“He doesn't have a girlfriend.”

Alisa looks between them, just a bit baffled by the swift response.

“Ah, I see. I'm sorry for making assumptions.”

Yaku is just as quick to shake his head dismissively. “No, it's fine. It doesn't really bother me.”

She opens her mouth to argue, but Lev cuts in to remind her that she's probably got somewhere to be. After proper goodbyes (and taking one of Yaku’s business cards), Lev helps his sister into a taxi and she's off to brave lunch time Tokyo traffic.

The model fixes Yaku with a look, one of his pale eyebrows raised and mouth askew.

“Do you just always have business cards? Even when you aren't working?”

“You've learned nothing from your dad, have you?” Yaku grins up at him and pushes him along through the crowd in the direction of the nearest subway station. “Your problem isn't that you're…” He makes a vague gesture that doesn't mean anything specific, but he's sure Lev knows the word he doesn't feel comfortable saying out loud in public. “...it’s that you don't pay attention.”

“I don't pay attention because I'm not medicated. Don't be rude, Yaku-san.”

“You aren't medicated?” He looks up at his companion curiously and catches Lev's eye. The model stands just a little straighter.

“ _No,_ I'm not. I don't like it.”

Yaku holds up his hands defensively. “Hey, I'm not implying anything.”

_You brought it up._

“ _Good_ ,” Lev snaps. He continues on ahead of the photographer as Yaku stands a bit stunned. Sure, Lev has been irritated before, but he's never talked to him like that.

Medication must be a tough subject for him. It's understandable, though.

Yaku hurries to catch up with Lev’s long strides, and the two board the subway train in silence several minutes after arriving. The silence between them is broken when Yaku hears the familiar metallic clanging of Lev’s boading balls. He takes a quick glance around him to confirm before looking up at Lev’s face; his eyes are intense and focused, his mouth set in a thin line.

“Lev?”

He isn't sure if Lev doesn't hear him or if he's being ignored, but Yaku assumes it's the former. He finds himself concentrating on the sound of the boading balls as Lev slides them around his palm. He's gotten pretty good with them over just a few weeks time. Despite the overall goal being the ability to rotate them around in a single hand without making a sound, the noise seems to be just as calming to the model as the act itself.

Yaku tries once again to get his attention, but again is ignored. He leaves Lev be until they reach their stop. He doesn't even really think about it as he tugs at Lev's belt loop until he knows he's being followed back into the streets.

He looks up at Lev to find the model deep in thought, though there's still a scowl set on his stupidly handsome face.

“Do you want oinarisan?”

It's as though a switch has been flipped; Lev’s eyes light up, all the tension falling away as he hones in on the photographer.

“Huh?”

“There's a sushi place not too far out of the way and they serve your deep-fried crap.”

Lev blinks down at him, mouth set in a thin, straight line. “Yaku-san is a hater.”

With a shrug, Yaku turns on his heels. “I guess you don't want free sushi, then.” Before he can take more than a handful of steps, there's a tugging at the back of his shirt, though not enough to slow him down. He glances over his shoulder, but Lev's only response is to push him forward with the hand holding his shirt. “I should start charging your dad a babysitting fee.”

“I'll go home if I'm bothering you so much.”

Yaku doesn't need to turn back around to know that Lev is sticking his tongue out at him.

The sushi shop is only about five minutes away from his apartment. He's hopeful that they'll beat the incoming rain, but as soon as they step back onto the sidewalk he notices a light sprinkle beginning to fall. He ushers Lev towards the apartment as quickly as he can, but the rain is faster than either of them could ever hope to be.

Inside the apartment, Totoro squeaks at them eagerly, but even Lev is too frazzled by his soaked clothes to pay the cat much mind.

“Yaku-saaaaan…”

“Yeah, give me a minute.”

Yaku strips his socks off before stepping onto the carpet. He's quick to change into dry casual clothes before grabbing a pair of sweatpants and tossing them to a pitiful Lev where he still stands in the entryway. Yaku digs through one of his dresser drawers and grabs the first shirt he finds that's large enough for his guest.

Back in the living room Lev has already helped himself to a clean towel. It sits slung over one of his bare shoulders as he eagerly cuddles a rather unenthusiastic kitten. He's reluctant to let Totoro go, but accepts the shirt nonetheless.

“Yaku-san, why do you randomly have the ugliest shirts that are way too big for you?” Lev asks with a grimace as he holds the obnoxiously colored garment at arms length. “Are they Kuroo-san’s clothes, or something?”

Lev doesn't immediately receive an answer, though he doesn't seem too concerned about one as he slips the fabric over his head. It's barely long enough to cover his stomach, but it's probably a better fit than any of Yaku’s own clothes. After all, Yaku’s sweatpants─which are torn at the bottoms from being stepped on so often─look like capris on Lev's long legs.

“Nah, they're not,” he replies absentmindedly. “They're─” He stops himself to think for a moment, wondering if he should finish the sentence. Would Lev clam up again like he'd done on the subway? He figures honesty is the the best option. “...they were Keiji’s. Back from when we were...whatever we were.”

Watching Lev worry the inside of his cheek, Yaku wonders if maybe he should have said nothing at all. When green eyes turn into him, though, Lev's expression is nothing short of determined.

“What happened with you two?”

Yaku's eyes widen a bit at the question. “Um…” He actually has to stop to think about it, the events of several years prior rather foggy in his mind. “Well, I guess Keiji just sort of...up and left Japan. That's what it felt like, at least. One day he was here, the next he was in Paris, or something. And we were over, just like that.”

The corner of Lev's mouth tenses a bit as he seems to mull over the information.

“I know it isn't any of my business, but it's been bothering me.” Lev takes a moment to pause tentatively, only continuing after Yaku raises an eyebrow at him. “It's just, you don't really seem like a…friends with benefits guy to me? How'd that even happen?”

Yaku opens his mouth to reply, but with the first syllable goes his response, as well. He'd...never really thought about it once it had all been said and done. So much of his life was blurred together and felt so far away.

“I'm honestly not sure...Oikawa-san introduced us, because of-fucking-course he was somehow involved. I guess something clicked because he actually _wanted_ to see me again. It, uh, wasn't really a great time for me, though.” He pauses to consider his own words, not quite satisfied. “Like, that period _in_ time. Lots of crying, lots of drinking, lots of...numbness. From the depression, not Keiji. I don't think I could have been emotionally intimate with anyone back then.”

“How long ago…?”

“Like, three years ago or something. That's when we met, I think. He left almost a year later...that feels like forever ago...” Yaku takes a moment to rethink the number, but he's pretty sure he's got his math right. “It's amazing how long two years is when you're measuring it in pill bottles,” he adds somberly. There's a long beat of silence before he realizes what all he's said. “I'm sorry, that doesn't have anything to do with the question─”

He hadn't realized his hands were shaking until Lev gingerly grabs one in his own. Yaku stares down at the pale fingers, so much longer and more delicate than his own. How could anyone have such flawless skin?

_It has to be the secret government laboratory experimentation, there is simply no other logical explanation, damnit._

“It's okay,” Lev tells him softly.

And it is. Sometimes the past still hurts, but he's slowly learning to leave it behind him.

Yaku doesn't squeeze Lev’s hand in return, though he doesn't pull away, either. Instead, he turns back to Lev─when had he looked away─with furrowed brows.

“I’m sorry if I offended you earlier. I just meant that...you're doing well without medication.”

Something like shame crosses Lev's face. “No, I know. I’m not sure why I got so agitated…”

“Medication is a touchy subject for people.” Yaku bumps their knees together (well, he bumps his knee to Lev's thigh). “Keiji was the first person to suggest it to me and I about bit his head off. Turns out he was right, but it's different for everyone, you know? Some people need pills, some people need therapy. Some need other outlets like...like meditation or exercise. Some need a combination of things, and some people are able to manage on their own.”

“Is it upsetting? Having to take medication?”

Yaku shrugs his shoulders as he considers the question, but an answer comes to him fairly quickly. “It used to be. It's like...what kind of man am I if I _have_ to rely on pills and my therapist to function? Then was the worry of if it would change me or if it would make things worse. Unknowns like that are scary and so is admitting that you need help to manage your own brain. And it was frustrating trying out different medications and different doses, the nausea and other changes...but eventually I found a good balance and everything was just...okay. It wasn't great, but it wasn't as bad anymore. And it got better. There are still bad days and bad weeks, but it's easier to think things will be okay again.”

At some point during Yaku’s rambling, Lev's large eyes had turned glassy as he gripped the photographer's hand tighter. Something about the way he was being looked at made him want to shrink away into a dark corner where Lev's natural radiance could no longer touch him.

“You're so brave…” Lev finally speaks.

Yaku can feel his ears heat up as something turns in his stomach. “I'm just living my life...lots of people go through this shit.” Before Lev can argue, Yaku remembers their takeout. “Don't forget about your sushi.”

He seems reluctant, but Lev drops it as he removes his hand from Yaku's to retrieve their takeout bag from the table. There's a bit of stillness, enough for Yaku to worry he's made things awkward, but when Lev randomly launches into a rant about a movie he can't stop thinking about, Yaku feels relief. He's only half listening as he picks at his sushi, but like always Lev continues on without a care.

Yaku doesn't even realize he's fallen asleep until the obnoxious sounds of K-Pop return him to the waking world. He groans in annoyance without bothering to open his eyes, instead willing himself to fall back asleep. The day had left him completely drained.

“Hey,” he hears Lev loudly whisper after the pop music is abruptly halted. Yaku vaguely recalls that it was Lev's ringtone. “Sorry, I know I’m late. I’m with Yaku-san, but he fell asleep...I don't wanna be rude…”

“‘m awake,” Yaku slurs. He stretches his legs where they rest over Lev's lap.

_When the fuck did I lay down?_

“Nevermind, he's awake...yeah, I'll be there soon.”

Finally blinking open his tired eyes, he stares narrow eyed at his companion as Lev puts down the phone. He's about to ask why Lev let him fall asleep like the crabby asshole he is, but he notices the book in the model's other hand first.

“You were snooping through my shit again,” he accuses, though more out of embarrassment than anything.

Flushing, Lev moves the book to obscure the cover.

“You keep it in the only drawer I could reach without waking you up!”

True, _but still_.

Admittedly, he'd forgotten that the book was even there. A gag gift from Kuroo after Yaku finally came out to him, the book is about the sexuality of gay men and practicing safe sex. The illustrations are more informative than erotic, but it’s still embarrassing to have someone find it.

“It is interesting, though…”

Rubbing his eyes is the only thing keeping Yaku from rolling them, but then he reminds himself that Lev hasn't had much experience with his own sexuality in the few short years he's been aware of it.

“Take it with you if you want.”

Lev nods, face still red, as they both rise from the couch. The model gathers his things while Yaku puts out Totoro’s wet food. It's been difficult, but he hasn't missed a single day giving the fuzz ball his special food. Even something as small as that makes him feel more confident with himself and his progress.

On his way out, Lev is hesitant, like there's more he wants to say. He seems to think better of it, though, and leaves with a shy smile.

_What was he going to say?_

 

* * *

 

The only time Kyoutani Kentarou smiles is when someone gets hurt or when his boyfriend whispers something in his ear. Being as there are no recent injuries in the bar and no Yahaba around to be cheeky, Yaku should probably feel accomplished right now.

He probably would if they had been talking about anyone else.

The day after Lev had borrowed the book─also known as yesterday─he had arrived at work with a look of such intense focus you'd have thought he was contemplating the meaning of life. Instead, he leaned in close and whispered, “Yaku-san...how do you know who's the top and who’s the bottom?”

He can actually see the tears forming in the corners of Kyoutani’s eyes. Even Misaki Hana, one of Terushima’s friends (who _doesn't_ he know?), is covering her mouth with her hand where she stands behind the bar.

“It's not funny!” Yaku exclaims. He's not sure he can scowl any deeper, but of course it means little to a man like Kyoutani, king of scowling. “He was legitimately asking me that! His only window into gay culture has been yaoi manga and fan fiction.”

Kyoutani has the decency to wince a little at that. “Yuck…”

“Yeah...it was awkward as fuck, but I set him straight on that. I didn't think I'd ever have to actually explain that to someone. He looked so confused, like he was deceived.”

“A lot of yaoi and fan fiction is written by straight women,” Misaki comments with a sigh. “Mostly for fetish. I thought men were exclusively tops and bottoms for a long time, too. Among other things…”

The ever present crease in Kyoutani’s brow depends as he looks Misaki over. “Why were _you_ reading yaoi?”

She simply rolls her eyes as she pours him another drink. “Lots of lesbians find it easier to read about gay love and intimacy between men. Plus, finding lesbian content created for actual women is...difficult. I'm sure finding content created for gay men is, too.”

“Yeah...but now we have Snapchat.”

Yaku crinkles his nose at the man next to him. Shaking her head, Misaki moves on to serve a new patron at the other end of the bar. Kyoutani raises his glass before downing it in one go.

“No drink?”

Yaku rubs his thumb against the side of his glass of water causing the condensation to fall faster onto the bar.

“Not today. Gotta make sure this new medication is working right.”

Kyoutani nods thoughtfully, not bothering to pry further. It's something Yaku likes about him, he's one of his few friends who doesn't want to dig into every aspect of his life.

“So, how's Yahaba-san doing?”

“Same old same old. He's going back to work when summer break ends.”

“Teachers and their extended vacations,” Yaku _tsks_ sarcastically. “Here I am dealing with Oikawa-san almost every day of the damn week.”

“There's always Ushijima.”

Yaku considers it for a moment, what it might be like to work under Ushijima instead. All he can imagine is Tendou’s invasive quirkiness and Semi’s judgmental glare.

“...I'm good.”

“Yeah, I don't like going there, either. The weird redhead gives me the creeps.”

“Who _doesn't_ buy flowers from you?”

Kyoutani shrugs halfheartedly. “Not gonna complain. If it keeps me in business, I'll take it. No way I’m getting a regular job.”

“I’m sure Oikawa-san wouldn't mind finding something for you,” Yaku teases. “Then you'd get to see him eeeevery day.”

The natural scowl on Kyoutani’s face twists into a grimace at the thought.

“I can't go to jail for murder. Already told you, I got a wife and three kids to support.”

“I think Yahaba-kun will manage just fine without you,” Misaki pipes back in as she rejoins them. “Might be nice to not have to clean up after you all the time,” she teases with a bright smile.

“Don't get too familiar with me,” he warns her, but it has none of his usual bite behind it. “Plus, it's _my_ house that _he_ invaded.”

Misaki shrugs casually, smile still present on her kind face. From what Yaku has observed about her, she's probably the last person he'd pick to be a bartender.

“So Yaku-san─”

“Yaku is fine,” he interrupts. “We've known each other long enough, right?”

She leans forward on her elbows and her smile widens a bit. “Yaku-kun, then. I was just wondering about something. You're pretty close with Akaashi-san, right?”

“Uh, yeah? We were, uh, together for a while. Why?”

“I don't know Akaashi-san very well myself, but, well, you know how nosy Teru-kun can be. He really wants to set him up with a friend of mine, but I'll admit I'm a little…” She makes a vague motion with her hands before shrugging a bit. “They're just really different, and I guess I was wondering what kind of guy Akaashi-san is into.”

Yaku lets out a sigh. “Of course he's serious about this…”

“Don't be so quick to dismiss Yuuji,” Kyoutani interjects.

_Ah, yeah, Teru-kun and Kyoutani have a history,_ Yaku remembers. It's kind of funny he and Kyoutani became friends _after_ Kyoutani and Terushima ended things.

“Yeah, yeah,” he waves the blond off before continuing. “Well, he liked me enough, so body type isn't really something he cares about. He seems really shallow, but I guess he likes someone he can just kinda...sit around with? It's hard to simplify shit like this…”

“I understand. I was just wondering since they seem to be complete opposites...but I suppose they do say opposites attract.”

“It wouldn't hurt to introduce them, I guess.”

She gives a small nod, though she still seems apprehensive. Yaku rakes his brain trying to remember anything about the guy Terushima mentioned, but nothing comes up.

There's a buzz in his pocket, but Yaku ignores it.

“What kind of person is he?”

Misaki seems confused for a moment before realization washes over her. “Oh! He's a really nice guy, like ridiculously nice. A bit...dense, but I guess that's part of his charm. He's also...bombastic? Definitely the kind of person who doesn't go unnoticed. A great cook, too.” In that moment, her eyes light up. “Oh! He's also huge. I bet he could beat Kyou-kun at arm wrestling.”

Kyoutani looks up from his phone with a questioning grunt. Looking him over, Kyoutani looks more like a personal trainer than a florist, much like Misaki looks nothing like a bartender. The man is all muscle and he isn't afraid to show it.

“Where can I find this asshole?” Kyoutani grumbles in his deep voice.

There's another buzz in his pocket, so Yaku finally pulls out his phone. There's a text from Lev in all caps and a text from an unknown number that's a bit longer.

 

> **Haiba Lev** [2017/08/18, 19:34]  
>  PLEASE SAY NO

 

> **UNKNOWN** [2017/08/18, 19:38]  
>  Good evening, Yaku-san~ It's Haiba Alisa. I hope this isn't too short notice, but I was wondering if you would like to join us for dinner this Sunday evening?

 

He stares down at Alisa’s message for a long moment while his companions bicker. He could say no like Lev wants and completely avoid any unnecessarily awkward human interaction. On the other hand, he doesn't want to be rude to Lev's family. Since the invitation is coming from Alisa it's informal, right?

He types out a quick confirmation before he can stress about it too much.

He can survive one dinner with Lev's family, right?

“Are you okay?”

He's pulled back into reality by Misaki. She looks a bit worried.

“I was wondering something.”

“Hm?”

“Teru-kun has a new love interest and Keiji wouldn't tell me about him, so if course I care now.”

She chuckles a bit at that.

“Sorry, but he told me not to tell you,” she admits. “I guess that probably means he's a friend of yours or something?”

Yaku signs in frustration. He wouldn't give a shit about this if people weren't being so secretive.

“Gimme a hint?”

“Uh…” She taps her finger to her chin as she thinks. When a sympathetic grin crosses her lips, he already knows he won't be getting much. “Well, he's nice?”

“Huh. Can't be any of my friends ‘cause they're all assholes.”

It's probably the first time he's heard Kyoutani laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This year has been so hectic. So much shit happening.


	7. Whatever the chances, they weren't slim enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Oh, well Haiba-san and Alisa-san both have my information─”
> 
> “Where's your business cards, _Yaku-san_?” Lev remarks _like a fucking smartass_.
> 
> “I don't have them today, _Lev_.”
> 
> “But I thought you _always_ had them.”

It was easy to ignore on Friday in the company of friends. Saturday was a different story; in the silence of his own apartment, there was little to distract him, save for mind-numbing television and a kitten that was less than concerned with him. He held off the thoughts for as long as he could, but nights are endless when issues weigh on a tired mind. Still, time stops for no one and Sunday arrives without delay.

He spends the day running the few errands he has. It's difficult finding a gift for the Haibas since Lev's response to his text was a helpful _“why don't you ask my sister"_ and little else. He wants to tell him to get over it, but does understand Lev's irritation, even if he is being childish about it.

Yaku is making his way down the busy downtown street when the most obnoxious storefront catches his eye. Inside, he finds an equally obnoxious gift for the man in question.

_Perfect._

Back on the sidewalk, he tries not to break into a sprint, but his legs feel restless and his insides fuzzy. Shaking his head in an attempt to get a grip, he settles on a brisk walk. The shops become more high end and boring as he nears his location.

The Haiba’s apartment complex isn't the largest or flashiest in the area, but that's not saying much considering the luxurious feel of the neighborhood. Even the cheapest apartment has to cost as much as his entire month's paycheck.

The doorman lets him in with a polite nod and he takes the elevator to the top floor where he's stopped by a giant metal door. He raises his fist to knock, but the anxiety sets back in. He'd never really thought about Lev's home before, let alone visiting.

Is this weird?

He's given no time to consider the situation further because the door slides open and Alisa beams down at him. He's terrified at first until he remembers the elevator must have alerted them to his arrival.

“Welcome~!” she greets cheerfully. “I’m glad you could join us after all. Please, come in.”

“It's nice to see you again, Haiba-san. Thank you for having me.”

“Alisa is fine~”

_What is with these Japanese raised children having Russian names,_ he wonders for the first time.

With a nod, Yaku follows Alisa into the penthouse, stopping for just a moment to toe off his shoes and grab a pair of guest slippers. Inside, the home itself is unsurprisingly modern-western in style with not a single coaster out of place. The gray leather sectional looks terribly small in the giant, open living room.

From the attached kitchen to the right, an unfamiliar woman catches his eye. She's got short, bobbed hair, the same pale blond as Alisa, and a slender frame. Unsurprisingly, she's also rather tall, probably six foot or more.

There's a bit if relief that she's not somehow as tall as Lev.

Mother Haiba turns from her cooking to smile at him kindly; even from a distance he can tell she has the same emerald eyes as her son, but the shape is completely different. Where Lev's eyes are large and slanted, hers are smaller and more almond shaped, much like her daughter's.

Despite the obvious lines of age on her pale face, she's still extremely beautiful.

“ _Zdravstvuyte~_ ” she greets. Or, he assumes it's a greeting. Once the confusion is apparent on his face, she lets out a laugh. “Welcome to our home!” Her accent is extremely thick, but she thankfully speaks well enough that he can understand her. “It's nice to finally meet you.” She turns a few knobs on the stove and moves around the island counter to greet him properly. “I am Liliya Haiba.”

She holds out her slender hand for him to accept nervously. Lev gets his hands from his mother.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Haiba-san. Yaku Morisuke.”

Her smile changes from warm and welcoming to knowing and mischievous.

“You call me Liliya and I call you Morisuke, _da_?”

_Oh no._

He attempts to repeat her name, but it's obvious he's butchering it by the way she starts laughing again. It isn't a sound of mocking, but he still feels embarrassed. Liliya takes pity on him and coaches him briefly through the syllables. He understands why Lev never bothered trying to learn Russian.

“Japanese men are always so cute~” she coos.

“ _Mom_.” Yaku turns to locate the familiar voice. From a hallway on the other side of the room, Lev frowns at them. “Don't be weird with my friend.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Still smiling brightly, Liliya brings a hand to her mouth before muttering softly. “He is mister grumpy today.”

“Oh. This is for you all.” Yaku hands over the fancy paper bag he had been carrying. A cheesecake was the best gift he could come up with.

She thanks him excitedly and sets it down on the island counter on her way back to her cooking. Looking back to Lev, the guy is still glaring at him from the hallway.

“Excuse me.” He gives Alisa an apologetic smile before meeting his friend where he stands. “Where's your room?”

“We can talk here.”

Shaking his head, it's all Yaku can do not to snap back with a retort.

“I'm sorry, okay?” he whispers. “Let's talk privately.”

Lev tries to hold his ground, but so does Yaku. Finally relenting, Lev leads him halfway down the hall and into one of the bedrooms. Yaku is apprehensive at first, but once he gets a good look at the room, he's just...confused.

“This is your room?” he asks in disbelief.

If he had to image a bedroom for Lev, it would be covered in posters and figurines for his favorite shows and comics. A poster of Sailor Moon and a Gundam model is the very least of his expectations, but there's nothing like that. There's hardly anything at all.

The bedroom is spacious, and it has to be with the large bed necessary to comfortably fit Lev's long body. The comforter, however, is a plain and solid green. The walls are bare of anything but a few small band posters and a cork board where various papers are pinned. The tall bookshelf is only half occupied by books, though there are several shelves of manga. The camera bag Yaku had given him sits prominently on a small stack of notebooks in the middle of a small desk next to the bookshelf. A Newton’s cradle sits against the wall on the desk, the metallic balls stationary.

How does such a plain room belong to someone like Lev?

“Is there something wrong with it?” Any standoffishness is completely gone from his tone. Instead he seems…apprehensive?

“Well, no,” Yaku quickly replies. “I just thought that your room would be a little more... _you_.”

“‘ _You_ ’?”

“Expressive,” he clarifies.

There's little emotion on Lev's face as he looks the photographer over. It's almost alarming to see, but then Lev averts his eyes with a bashful frown.

“I took down all the kid stuff…”

“Kid stuff?”

“Yeah. Like the posters and toys and stuff…” He kneels down next to the bed and pulls open one of the built in drawers. Inside is a mess of various anime merchandise; Pokémon figures and plushies and a collection of Beyblades stand out the most to Yaku. “Felt like a waste to throw it all out, though, but now it's just wasting space in my closet and drawers…”

He pushes the drawer closed before plopping down onto the bed. Yaku hesitates, but eventually moves to join him. He puts way too much thought into just how close he should sit next to Lev and wants to punch himself for feeling so awkward.

_We've slept in the same bed before, dammit,_ he reminds himself.

“You don't have to throw it out. It's not kid stuff, it's your stuff.”

“Yeah, well...tell that to my family.”

Silence falls over them, and the only thing Yaku can hear is the other Haibas chatting away in the other room. He hates seeing Lev look so defeated.

Yaku's fingers twitch as he tries to force his hand to move. The more he overthinks it, the harder it is to do.

He visualizes jumping straight into freezing water on a summer day. No thoughts, just actions.

Lev seems startled when there's a hand over his. He gives Yaku a suspicious sideways glance. Turning his hand, he slides their palms together and laces their fingers.

“I’m sorry I didn't ask you first. Before I told your sister I'd come.”

“It's okay.”

“No. You seemed pretty upset.”

Lev sucks in his bottom lip. This time, Yaku doesn't bother trying to stop him.

“There's…” he begins. Lev purses his lips for a moment before continuing. “Yaku-san, I really, really like our relationship and I like how you treat me. It's different than how everyone else does. I don't want you to be around my family and then, I dunno...I don't want you to see me how they see me…”

Yaku squeezes his and and Lev responds in kind.

“At this point, I'm not sure I could think of you any differently.”

Lev turns to give him a skeptical look. All Yaku can think to do is stare back at him with what he hopes is a look of conviction. He's sure he probably just looks tired and irritated, but it seems to work nonetheless when Lev's cheeks flush just a bit.

This is probably the part of the movie where they share their first kiss before a narrated ending montage of super gay happiness, or a fade to black, or whatever the fuck happens. But they still have so much shit to discuss and Lev's family is only an open doorway away.

“C’mon, I don't want to be rude to your family.” Sliding off the bed, Yaku tugs Lev by the hand. The model reluctantly complies and releases his grip on the photographer. “Oh yeah!” Yaku reaches into his jeans pocket and places his gift in one of Lev's hands. “For you.”

Opening his palm, Lev's eyes widen for a moment before he snorts a laugh. He holds the fidget spinner higher up between them to admire the rainbow finish of the dark metal. Lev gives it a flick to watch it spin, the rainbow sheen a blur between his slender fingers.

There's a tiny white scar on Lev's right ring finger.

“I want to be offended,” he chuckles. “ _But_ …”

“You know it's fucking perfect.”

Putting the gadget down on the desk, Lev leads the way back to the open living room. The women are chatting in broken Japanese, mixing in what Yaku assumes to be Russian.

“I’m almost done,” Liliya informs them. “Katsurou-san is late, so we eat without him.”

There's a tug at Yaku's arm. Lev nods to the dining table, and the two sit while the ladies finish up. The photographer feels bad for not helping, but Alisa insists she's got it under control.

When he's passed his bowl, he's surprised to see curry udon. He had been expecting something a little more...not Asian. It isn't bad, just not what he was expecting from a Russian immigrant.

“Thank you for the meal,” they all say at different speeds and tones. Yaku watches them closely, worried about making a mistake and offending his hosts. It's then that he realizes just how odd it is eating at an actual dining room table instead of on a couch.

He's missing a TV show, he just knows it.

“So, Morisuke,” Liliya interrupts his thoughts. Her voice is deeper than most Japanese women, strong and commanding, but still kind. “You and _Lev_ have been getting along?”

Yaku feels like an idiot sitting there blinking at her. He's pretty sure she just said Lev's name, but she pronounced it like nothing he's ever heard before.

“That's what it's supposed to sound like.” To his left, Lev nudges him under the table with his knee. He pronounces his name first how it's supposed to sound and then how it sounds in their dialect. “Completely different, right?”

He gives a nod before turning back to Liliya. She's still smiling, waiting patiently for him to finally answer her.

“Yeah, we get along well. He's good to work with, too.”

Her smile widens, though he notices she doesn't have the same smile as her children.

“Good! Lev talks about you all the time. I was surprised that you two became friends. I wondered when Lev would bring you home, but he gets fussy when I ask.”

From the corner of his eye, Yaku catches Lev glaring at his cheery mother where she sits across from them. Liliya, however, pays him no mind.

“How long have you been with the company?”

“Umm…it's been almost four years ago, I believe? I started working after I got my associate degree, and I got this job a little after I finished my bachelor's. It was completely by chance, though.”

She waves her free hand dismissively at him. “Nonsense! I've looked into you, and I've seen what you've done with Lev. I'd have hung up prints, but he forbids it! I’m jealous that he lets you hang up his pictures but not his own mother.”

“ _Mom,_ ” Lev warns.

Yaku glances over to see Lev scowling into his udon, face flushing steadily. Across the table,  Alisa is doing a terrible job of inconspicuously watching Lev.

“...I didn't really ask first.” Facing back to the eldest Haiba, Yaku does his best to put on what he hopes is a pleasant smile. “If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been in Japan?”

Her eyes light up at the question. “Oh, that was so long ago! I had visited off and on for years, but I finally moved just before Alisa was born...that must have been twenty-three years ago, at least. I never planned to move when I first started visiting Japan, but then I met their father, and here we are now.”

As if on queue, the elevator chimes from the far side of the room. A moment later, the metal doors slide open, and the commanding businessman from three months ago enters. Only, he's not just a random CEO (or whatever the fuck he is), he's Lev's father.

“Darling~!” Liliya jumps up to greet her husband with a chaste kiss, which she has to lean down to manage. It's difficult to image what brought these very mismatched people together in the first place. “I missed you!”

Haiba looks around his wife to the table and his brows knit together. “I told you I'd be home soon.”

“I learn Japanese for you. I move to a new country for you. I give you two beautiful children. I do not wait for you to eat."

The tight line of his shoulders sag, the tension falling away with a sigh while his wife takes his suit jacket.

“Welcome home, daddy~” Alisa greets.

“Thank you.” They take their seats, Haiba sitting at the head of the table next to his children, and he turns his attention to their guest. “It's good to see you again, Yaku. I hope you've been well and Lev hasn't given you any trouble. I trust you'd tell me if he did.”

“ _Dad_.”

“Things have been just fine, sir. Lev is doing very well now that he's more familiar with the work.”

“Very good. Oikawa says you handle him well.”

“ _I’m right here, dad_.”

“Daddy, please,” Alisa interrupts. “I didn't invite Yaku-san for business purposes. He's here as Lev's friend!”

“Okay, okay,” Haiba relents. When Liliya passes him his own bowl of udon, he gratefully accepts.

“So, Morisuke.” Resting her chin in her hands, Liliya smiles at him. “You recently turned twenty-six, right? Any plans of settling down and starting a family? Or are you holding off, as so many young people are doing nowadays?”

He wants to roll his eyes, but refrains. It's probably one of his least favorite things to be asked right after _“do you have a girlfriend?”_

“I'm not really concerned with that at the moment. I'm too busy with my career to think about things like dating or marriage.”

“Ah, I see. Well, if you ever want someone who can set you up, I know many lovely young ladies. My Alisa here is single, too.”

He can tell just from his peripheral vision that Lev looks absolutely mortified.

“Don't tease him like that!” Alisa scolds, her pale cheeks tinting pink. She turns to Yaku with an apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry about both of my parents.”

Alisa focuses back to her father to ask him about his business trip. He recalls the events without any of the same emotion that the rest of his family seems to express for even the most mundane of things, but the girls still listen attentively. Lev, on the other hand, is busy rolling the beads of his bracelet between his fingers in an attempt to calm down. Not knowing what else to do, Yaku nudges Lev's foot under the table with his own. The pressure is returned, so he doesn't move away.

The conversation eventually turns back on Yaku, and he's asked all the questions you'd ask a new guest: if he was born in Tokyo, how he likes it, what schools he attended, etc.

Their udon bowls are eventually replaced with plates of warabi mochi. The good shit, too.

The sweets seem to distract Lev from his irritation, so when he tries to steal one of Yaku's mochi balls, the photographer can't bring himself to stop him.

The Haiba men gather up the rest of the dishes, so Yaku sits back and watches them as Alisa tells her father something that had happened with her birds. The height difference between Lev and his father is almost comical.

At some point in Alisa’s story, Haiba turns to look at her with wide eyes. It's then that Yaku finally notices it, the one thing Lev gets from his father: his eyes. Lev's eyes are green like Liliya’s but shaped like his father's.

Fuck, he can't stop smiling.

“Surely you do freelance work, Morisuke.”

His attention snaps back to Liliya. He really hopes she wasn't watching him. “Not often, but yes. Of course.”

“Lovely! I've been wanting a new family portrait for a while now~”

“Oh, well Haiba-san and Alisa-san both have my information─”

“Where's your business cards, _Yaku-san_?” Lev remarks _like a fucking smartass._

“I don't have them today, _Lev_.”

“But I thought you _always_ had them.”

There's a curse on his lips, but he actually does care what Lev's family thinks of of him, so he settles for sticking his tongue out instead. Liliya seems amused.

The rest of the evening is pleasant. Alisa shows him her birds, from her colorful little lovebirds to her white and gray cockatiel. She takes excellent care of them, no doubt, but Yaku isn't too keen on the little shits. The cockatiel doesn't seem to care much for him, either, and tries to keep Yaku as far from his owner as possible.

Unsurprisingly, the damn birds have their own entire room to occupy.

And it's bigger than Yaku's bedroom.

_Damn birds._

Overall, he doesn't see much more of Haiba after dinner is complete. He excuses himself to bed before the sun is even done setting, no doubt weary from his flight home. Alisa and Liliya sit with the boys out on the patio until it gets dark, but they eventually turn in for the night, as well; Liliya to join her husband and Alisa to tend to her birds before bed.

There's a comfortable silence between Yaku and Lev as they listen to the noises of the city. Leaning over the railing, Yaku watches the people walking by on the sidewalk below. They aren't quite ants down there, but it's still a pretty long drop.

“So,” Lev begins after joining his friend. The railing that comes up to Yaku's chest only makes it to Lev's stomach. “I finished that book.”

“Yeah? Don't take the sex positions too seriously, a lot of them are complicated bullshit.”

Lev snorts a small laugh, but shakes his head. “I didn't spend too much time on the pictures, jeez. I do have a question, though.”

He doesn't immediately continue, so Yaku glances over to look at him. Lev's head is turned away a bit, a small frown on his thin lips.

“Is it really...not supposed to hurt…?”

“You gotta be a little more specific than that.”

He groans and rubs his face with his hands, though the photographer is pretty sure that's to hide the growing color on Lev's face. Even with the dim light, it's fairly visible.

“When you, y'know…”

He make an ‘o’ with the index finger and thumb of his left hand and pokes through the hole with the index finger of his right hand.

Yaku really doesn't mean to laugh.

“Oh my God, I think I’m going to die…”

“I'm sorry!” Yaku gets the last couple of chuckles out before continuing. “Sorry...no, it's not supposed to hurt. Like, it might if you've got a really thick partner, but that shouldn't be super painful. You, uh, gotta stretch it out with your fingers first so you don't get hurt or hurt your partner, or whatever.”

He waits for a response, but none comes. Lev simply stares blankly off into the distance.

“...Why do you ask…?”

No response.

“Lev?”

With a sigh, Lev slumps down to rest his head in his folded arms over the railing. With his waist bent at a ninety degree angle, it can't be all that comfortable.

“Your ex was an asshole, wasn't he?”

“...Yeah…”

“It's okay if you don't want to share, but I am kinda curious about how you two got together? He's been your only boyfriend, right?”

“Yeah, just him.” He straightens back up and Yaku momentarily catches the faint scent of his deodorant in the breeze. “It's okay. You shared with me, so I don't mind sharing with you.” A deep breath. “Well, it was last year when I met him at one of my first shoots. He came onto to me, and I guess I just got so excited that a guy was actually interested, I didn't really care about getting to know him first. It was...stupid of me.”

Reaching up, Yaku rubs the back of his hand against Lev's arm.

“Shut up, you're young. We all learn from experience.”

“Can I, like, skip the bad experiences, though? Or you can just shadow me at all times and stop me from doing stupid shit. Then you'll explain to me why it's stupid and what the consequences are.”

“The sad part is, I bet your dad could actually afford that.”

A smile finally finds its way back to Lev's face. They watch the city lights together until Yaku has to leave for the night. The following day at work, Lev seems to be in a fairly good mood. Good enough that Oikawa gives them a suggestive smile on his way past their desk, a route that is out of the way for the editor unless he purposely wants to bother them. The photographer can't feel too bad for now, not since Oikawa and Iwaizumi have finally made up.

Oikawa can be happy _for now._

“You're in an unusually good mood,” Akaashi remarks one afternoon closer to the end of August. “Is your medicine working well?”

“I think it is, actually. I don't feel as exhausted lately like I had been.”

“Good.” Akaashi gives him one of his tiny smiles.

“Here you go.” They're interrupted by Matsukawa returning from the back of the bakery, paper bag in hand. “Fresh as fuck and ready for death.”

Akaashi accepts the offered bag. “Thank you, Tooru’s friend's boyfriend.”

“No problem, sarcastic walking coffee shop au.”

They wave their goodbyes as Yaku and Akaashi exit the shop.

“So, don't bullshit me. Yuuji is serious about setting me up, isn't he?” Akaashi hands Yaku his anpan as the photographer replies in the affirmative. Akaashi sighs. “Have you at least met this man?”

“Nope. I just know he's supposedly very nice and swole as fuck.”

“Lucky me.” He takes a bite of his taiyaki, tearing the head right off of the fish shaped pastry. “I guess we'll both be meeting mystery men soon. I assume he invited you out on Friday?”

“Mystery men?” Yaku glances over to him, but quickly remembers Terushima's new ‘friend.’ “Ah, yeah. I wouldn't care if everyone wasn't being so damn secretive! Teru-kun has a new man every few fucking months, it's not my business.” The knowing smile Akaashi gives him only serves to cause further irritation. “Whatever...I’m done caring!”

“Oh, Morisuke-kun. Ever the tsundere.”

Yaku flips him off while he continues eating on his bun.

They pass an endless ocean of random strangers as they make their way down the sidewalk, each face fading away without any thought. Well, they were until one particular face catches the photographer's eye. He turns around to check if he's seeing things just as the man does the same.

“Morisuke-chan!” Ishikawa, the asshole from the club, smiles at him. “I didn't know you and Keiji were friends.”

“It's Yaku to you.”

“Don't address me.”

Ishikawa laughs at their simultaneous replies. It's far too loud and far too pronounced to be remotely sincere.

“I guess if you're a photographer, it isn't that surprising. You _are_ a photographer, right? It's a shame we've never worked together!”

“Isn't it about time you retired?” There's a harshness to Akaashi's voice that he rarely uses.

“Ah, Keiji, don't be like that. Maybe you gave up and ran home to mommy and daddy, but some of us have to work for a living.” He nods in Yaku's direction, motioning to him. “Isn't that right, Morisuke-kun?”

“Why don't you piss off?”

The model brings a hand to his chest in mock offense, though the smile never leaves his face.

“So much hostility! What does Lev possibly see in you? I'll have to ask him myself sometime soon.”

Simply running into Ishikawa out of every asshole he could have possibly come across is enough to piss Yaku off. Knowing Akaashi doesn't like him, either, only serves to solidify the foul feelings. Hearing Ishikawa say Lev's name makes him want to throw caution to the wind and take this bastard down.

Maybe if he were still in high school he would have tried. Luckily, in his adult life he's more rational than that.

He takes a step forward, which may have been a bit more threatening if he weren't so much shorter than his rival. Still, he squares his shoulders and looks Ishikawa dead in his eyes.

“You better leave Lev the fuck alone.”

The shit-eating grin falters for a moment. It's followed shortly by a genuine laugh.

“Ha! What could you possibly do to me? You're a flabby-armed little nobody. Besides, you're only good as a cock warmer until Lev finds someone with a better pedigree. Who knows, he might keep you around as a comfort boy when his daddy marries him off.”

“You shit bag─”

“ _He's_ not who you should be worried about, Ishikawa,” Akaashi cuts in. “After all, you've pissed a lot of people off over the years.”

“And trust me, all you hoes are more than welcome to kneel down and suck my dick. You've got nothing on me.”

“What comes around, goes around.” Grabbing onto Yaku's shoulder, Akaashi tugs forcefully. “Let's go.”

“But we're having such a lovely conversation─” Ishikawa is cut off by a small group of wide-eyed young women calling his name as they run up to him. Their excitement is obvious, no doubt fans of his.

_“Ishikawa-san!”_

He turns his attention to the women, fake smile bright as he greets them. Akaashi doesn't miss the opportunity to forcefully drag Yaku on their way.

“Don't bother with him,” the former model insists. “Whatever his history with Haiba-kun, it's not worth getting involved in. That guy is just a grade-a jackass and you'd do well to avoid him.”

Yaku wants to protest, but he's not sure he could without spilling Lev's secrets.

“So what's he done to make you hate him?”

“He exists,” is the only answer Akaashi offers. “I was hoping he'd have fucked off by now, though. He's getting rather old to be keeping this up.”

“How old even is he?”

“Well, he'd be in his mid thirties, I believe. It would probably piss a lot of people off if he kept modeling, though, so I can only assume he's in it as a _‘fuck you’_ to all the enemies he's made.”

_That's more than a decade age difference._

“I know he's the head asshole, but is there anything specific he does to get on everyone's bad side?”

Akaashi digs through the bag for a moment to retrieve a cookie before answering. “He's just really two-faced. Pleasant to photographers and managers and all that, rude and condescending to peers and assistants. I did hear at one point that he's the dom type...goes after younger men who don't understand conse─wait.” When Akaashi turns to look at him, Yaku avoids his piercing gaze. “Has Haiba-kun had _that_ sort of run in with that creep?”

“I’m, uh, not sure about the details…”

He can practically feel the intensity of Akaashi's all knowing stare.

“...I suppose it's none of my business. But do steer clear, and keep your pet on a short leash. I imagine a young, fair skinned European boy is at the top of a lot of fetish lists.”

He wants to be angry with the remark, but he knows Akaashi is completely right. The thought that people consider his friend to be ‘exotic’ turns his stomach a bit.

“...How has your mother been?”

A flimsy attempt at changing the topic, but Akaashi doesn't comment.

“Oh, same old, same old. She's convinced I've returned to rekindle an old flame. I fear she may be close to visiting to meet this lost love I supposedly have. She'll be rather disappointed, I think.” His normally uninterested face twists into a small grimace. “All she did in Paris was try to set me up with every man in my age range. She even tried setting me up with a fifty year old millionaire.”

“Hey, you could have been set!”

“I'd have never been able to fake interest in him. He was a heartless bastard.” Holding up a finger to silence him, Akaashi shoots Yaku a glare. “No, it wouldn't have been a perfect match. I’m way out of his league.”

_“A millionaire, Keiji.”_

“I would prefer my partner and I develop erectile dysfunction contemporaneously, as to avoid me being fully dissatisfied with a one-sided sex life.”

“Sex isn't everything.”

“Oh, please. Most people who say that are full of it, and also trying to get it.”

He takes a bit of his cookie without much grace, not a care in the world as to how people may see him. It's never ceased to amuse Yaku how someone so beautiful can care so little about his own beauty, but that's just Akaashi.

Despite the cloud cover, the day is still ridiculously warm. The cool breeze of fall can't come quickly enough to alleviate the unbearably oppressive heat of the summer.

It's not being dramatic, Yaku is just _dying._

The bell over the door signals their arrival, the cool air conditioning of the familiar establishment a godsend. It almost makes up for Kuroo’s Cheshire grin.

Not quite, but almost.

“Well, well, well. If it isn't Yakkun and Akaashi, come crawling back to me after so long…”

“Shut up. I saw you last week.”

_“So, so long ago!”_

Rolling their eyes, the newcomers wait patiently for Kuroo to finish with his current client. He easily flirts with her all the way to the register, his smile wide as she tips entirely too much for her haircut.

Once she's out the door, Kuroo gives them his full attention.

“Akaashi! Long time, so see!” He spreads his arms in a gesture of welcome, though it's not well received. “You've been back for a while now, yet you haven't come to see me? I’m offended you would cheat on me with another hairdresser!”

“Nothing personal, Kuroo. I just don't like your personality.”

Kuroo bellows a laugh, genuine and hearty.

“Aw man, I've always liked you, you know?”

“I have been told I’m the life of the party.” Walking up to the counter, Akaashi sets down the paper bag.

“For me? You're too kind.”

“You _and_ Kenma,” Yaku tells him sternly. “And I will ask him about it.”

“Have more faith in me!”

“I have just enough faith in you, which happens to be very little.”

“A generous amount,” the model adds. “Give my best to Kenma, would you?”

Kuroo sees them both out, but quickly closes the glass door to keep in the air. They walk about with no real destination in mind, but their previous encounter still has Yaku on edge.

If Ishikawa decides to cause issues, would there be any way to stop him? What might he do? Would he harass Lev? Would he try to pull something again? Would he go after Yaku? How far is his reach?

He absentmindedly bumps into his companion, attention snapping back to reality.

“Lost in thought?”

“Something like that…” Yaku admits sheepishly. “Hey, if it bothers you, I'll tell Teru-kun to knock it off. With the matchmaking.”

Akaashi takes a moment to consider it. “...I can't say I’m not curious. I might as well see just how ripped this guy is... _swole_ , I believe the children are saying.”

Snickering at Akaashi's deadpan delivery, Yaku claps him on the back. Whatever happens come Friday, he's confident it will at least be entertaining for everyone observing. Who can say no to free food and a show?

Later that night, Yaku is still lost in thought as he lays in the darkness of his bedroom. He's anxious about the future, but the feeling isn't nearly as suffocating as it would have been in the past.

He closes his eyes, clenching every muscle in body, from his face to his toes, as tight as he's able without hurting himself. Then, he simultaneously lets go of all the tension, melting into his bed and clearing his mind, just as his therapist instructed him to do. It doesn't always do much, but it at least helps a bit. That night in particular, any assistance is welcome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An update without having to wait for months?! What is this??
> 
> ... for real, though, I do feel bad that this story has been so slow going. I had begun writing a new KyouHaba story and was gonna focus on that while working on this on the side again, but was thinking about this story and what's still left to come and I realized that I have no idea how long this will be (not that I ever really knew). I'm pretty sure they were supposed to get together a couple of chapters ago. Hell, when I started writing this chapter, it was supposed to contain a first kiss. But there's just so much to this fucking story... so, I'd like to focus on it for a while, have it finally be the priority. I'll be attempting to update every 10 days, but I make no guarantees.
> 
> As always, though, thanks for helping me keep going. All of your comments fuel my inspiration, the more the better \o/
> 
> Feel free to ask any questions on tumblr [@MonkWrites](http://monkwrites.tumblr.com/)!


	8. Why are you so beefy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Bokuto!” Terushima stands to greet the man once he's at their table. In addition to being a buff motherfucker, this Bokuto is also a huge motherfucker. “Good to see you, dude.” He pats the guy on a rock-hard shoulder then points down to Akaashi. “That's for him.”

Whatever Yaku had been expecting, it sure as hell wasn't this. He hadn't really thought too hard about who Terushima was recently infatuated with, preferring to wait and see, instead. Though, if he had put much thought into it, he'd probably never have guessed, anyway.

“Hi, Kai-san,” Lev greets, completely oblivious to the situation.

“Hey, Lev. Good to see you again.” Kai gives them a kind-hearted smile. “I assume you've been well?”

The reply doesn't really register to Yaku. He's too busy staring blankly at Terushima, completely at a loss for words. He's not angry, he's got no reason to be. He's just surprised, is all. Kai and Terushima are two completely different personalities, but if they get along, then good for them.

What bothers him is Terushima's long standing track record for getting the shit end of the stick when it comes to men. He'd been super into Kyoutani, but then Kyoutani met Yahaba. After that, he'd met some older businessman, and all Yaku knows is that that blew up in Terushima's face big time.

And now there's Kai. Hopelessly heterosexual Kai who is the exact opposite of the bleach blond party boy.

Yaku's gay heart goes out to him.

“Now, now, Mori. Let's turn that frown upside down!”

At least Terushima seems to be happy.

“Yaku-san’s face is always like that,” Lev absentmindedly remarks, yelping when his side is pinched. “ _Abuse!_ ”

“Mori-chan runs on primal instinct,” Oikawa interrupts. “If you let him keep displaying acts of physical aggression, then he won't stop. You must assert your dominance...become his alpha!”

“Oi, don't give him shitty advice.” Iwaizumi glares at his partner before turning to Terushima. “Who else are we waiting for? I'm fucking starving.”

_“Manners, Hajime.”_

Bringing up their linked hands, Iwaizumi flips him off.

“We're waiting on Shigeru and Kentarou aaaaaand Keiji.”

“Wonderful. All the people who are ever late,” Iwaizumi grumbles.

Turning back to Terushima, Yaku raises an eyebrow. “No beefcake for Keiji? I was sure you'd take this opportunity to trap them in a booth together, or something equally shitty.”

“Oh, he'll be here.” With a wink, Terushima throws his hands in the air. “KEN! SHIGERU!”

They're joined by the mismatched pair in question, Yahaba with his polite smile and Kyoutani being Kyoutani. Once they're close enough, Terushima practically pounces on them, giving Yahaba an exaggerated kiss on the cheek.

The new additions seem to be good enough for their host. That, or Iwaizumi just can't wait a moment longer. Either way, after briefly introducing Kai to the newcomers, their group finally makes it inside the restaurant.

Yaku's heard of the place, but never would have really bothered looking into it on his own. The only way he can really think to describe the inside is tropical vomit, like someone took a restaurant from a small island, picked it up, and set it down right here. Despite that, it's open and minimal with a second floor that overlooks the first. There's a giant aquarium reaching from the floor up to the ceiling of the ground level filled with various colorful fish and aquatic plant life.

It's also packed with customers.

There's a mellow looking woman manning the podium that stands in front of the aquarium. When she looks up at their group, her eyes light up.

“Terushima! I've been waiting for you.” She motions for them to follow her up the staircase set off to the side of the building and towards a large, oval booth at the back. The table doesn't offer the best view of the restaurant or windows, but it feels much more private. “I'll let Bokkun know you've arrived,” she says with a smile as they all shuffle into their seats. “Is this everyone?”

“Waiting on one more.”

With a nod, the woman takes their drink and appetizer orders. There's a lazy smile that seems permanently etched onto her face. “Alright. I'll get this in and Kaori will be with you shortly.”

“Thank you, Yukie~”

The hostess─Yukie─throws up a peace sign before making her exit. Oikawa is the first to start chatting away with Yahaba about this and that, but Yaku isn't really paying them any attention. Something has felt off about their group since he and Lev showed up, but he's only now putting his finger on it.

“Why are you even here?” he finally asks Kai, though low enough not to interrupt the other conversation. “It's just a little weird since you don't really know half the people here.”

Kai tilts his head to Terushima. “He said he had a surprise for me. Also free food. _And_ I just wanted to get a break from being home.”

“Your mom getting fussy again?”

“If I hear _‘hoy Nobu, tulungan mo nga ako dito’_ one more time, I might just move in with you.”

The phrase is something Yaku faintly remembers from their high school years. Back then, going to Kai’s house was always a gamble. You'd either be treated to as much food as you could eat, or you'd be put to work around the house by his mother.

“Move in with Teru-kun if you're getting along so well. My apartment wouldn't rent to two men, anyway,” he adds bitterly. He turns to Kyoutani on his right to catch the florist scowling. “Why are _you_ here?”

“Some really bitchy squatter made me.” When Yahaba smacks him on the arm without turning from his conversation, Kyoutani heaves a dramatic sigh. “I'm here to spend time with my lovely wife─” Another smack. “ _My lovely partner?!_ ”

Instead of yet another smack, Yahaba lays his hand on top of Kyoutani's. The blond gives Yaku an incredulous look and mouths _‘this asshole.’_

It isn't much later before Akaashi finally joins them, eyes scanning the faces of the both intently before finally taking his seat next to Oikawa. He sits just in time for the waitress to arrive with a large tray of drinks. As with the hostess, Terushima seems familiar with this young woman, too.

The restaurant seems to specialize in Hawaiian and Japanese fusion cuisine. Considering the surf boards lining the walls, it isn't surprising.

Once the waitress is gone, conversation picks back up. This time, though, Akaashi its staring hard at Terushima with an intensity that could cripple anyone else. When he turns his eyes to Yaku, the photographer can only shrug his ignorance.

When their food arrives, their table is packed with just about every fish available on the menu prepared in just about every way imaginable. Each plate is like an organized mess, but somehow it seems artful, purposeful, and matches the feel of the restaurant. As they dive into their meal, Akaashi finally begins his interrogation of Kai, determined to find something to dislike about him.

Good luck with that.

Further into the meal, the waitress returns for empty plates and dessert orders. She goes all around the table, stopping at Akaashi who still has the desert menu open on the table.

“I'll pass.”

“Oh? Is there anything you'd rather have?” she asks sweetly. “If there's something you'd like, we might be able to prepare it for you.”

Akaashi blinks at her for a moment, face neutral as ever, until he seems to make up his mind.

“Dango, if you can. Any type is fine.”

She nods at him with a look of determination, and then she's off.

Despite the pleasant atmosphere and casual conversation, Yaku can tell that Akaashi can't seem to relax. He knows Terushima too well to trust him.

There's a tugging on his pinky. When he looks down to his lap, he sees Lev's little finger wrapped around his. Despite the fact that they've held hands several times, he can feel his ears begin to burn.

“Yaku-san,” is whispered down to him. For once Lev seems to have found his quiet voice. “Is something supposed to happen?”

He takes another quick glance at Akaashi. “I have no idea, really…”

That seems to be enough for Lev, though he doesn't release his hold on Yaku's pinky. Their hands stay connected, resting in what little space there is between them until the waitress returns with their desserts. She takes the rest of their empty plates and leaves everyone but Akaashi with their sweets. It's mostly fruits, ice creams, and jellies in all kinds of bright colors and flavors.

Akaashi refuses to share anyone's dessert; he simply sits with his elbows propped up on the table and his fingers laced together. He may not seem it, but he is patient.

“Hey, hey, hey! Terushima!” a voice booms from a few booths down. Everyone turns curiously, except for Akaashi (and Lev at first, until he notices everyone else), to see the most obnoxious amateur bodybuilder turned beach hunk making his way towards them. Not only is his voice loud, but his entire being is absolutely deafening. “I bring dango!”

“Bokuto!” Terushima stands to greet the man once he's at their table. In addition to being a buff motherfucker, this Bokuto is also a _huge_ motherfucker. “Good to see you, dude.” He pats the guy on a rock-hard shoulder then points down to Akaashi. “That's for him.”

Yaku has never witnessed infatuation at first sight, but he's pretty sure he just got a secondhand experience watching Bokuto’s eyes landing on Akaashi for the first time. When their eyes meet, though, it's obvious Akaashi couldn't care less if he tried.

The man wants his dango

“Thank you,” Akaashi says before reaching up to grab ahold of the plate.”

Before he can even get his fingers on it, the new guy speaks up. “Holy shit, you should be a model.”

It's in this moment of silence that Yaku realizes this is probably the guy Terushima is trying to set Akaashi up with. He's curious what a trainwreck looks like in real life.

“I used to be,” Akaashi finally replies. When he moves again to grab the plate, Bokuto just stands there dumbfounded. “You're the chef, I assume?”

“...Yup, that's me!” he answers proudly, chest puffing out like a bird.

“Bokuto is a pretty great chef,” Terushima cuts in. Without breaking eye contact with their host, Akaashi pulls one of the skewered balls into his mouth and bites down noticeably. “...but Akaashi isn't why I wanted you, Bokuto.” The blond shuffles out of the booth, motioning for Kai to follow. “This is my buddy Kai, the one I told you about.”

Bokuto's bright, round eyes light up as he takes Kai in. The two shake hands, Bokuto obviously not used to controlling his own strength as he about shakes Kai’s arm out of its socket. It's obvious that the smaller of the two men has absolutely no idea what the fuck is going on.

“Good to meet you, dude. C’mon and you can show me what you've got. Kitchen's this way.”

Throwing one last glance to an uninterested Akaashi, Bokuto begins leading a confused Kai towards the stairs. Terushima waves him off with a cheery grin.

He says nothing to Akaashi, much to Yaku's surprise, as he sits back down to pick at the remnants of his fruit bowl. Akaashi watches him cautiously.

“Okay, I give up,” Yaku announces. “The fuck is going on?”

The blond shrugs. “Bokuto needs some help in the kitchen and Nobu needs a permanent job. I'm just being a kind and amazing friend, but if you disagree, I'm more than happy to let you pay for your own meal. Not you, Lev. You're wonderful and I'm glad you're here.”

 _“What a kind and amazing friend,”_ Lev repeats in fabricated awe, no doubt aiming to get a rise out of the photographer.

Instead, Yaku lightly smacks Kyoutani's bare shoulder with the back of his hand. “Misaki-chan was right, though. That guy could totally kick your ass.”

Kyoutani scoffs, his face set in a deep scowl as Yahaba snorts a laugh at the unexpected remark. Next to them, Oikawa and Iwaizumi are grinning, too.

“Laugh if you'd, like Hajime,” Akaashi speaks up, “but you wouldn't fare much better.”

Iwaizumi stops to frown at him.

“So, Akaashi, how are Bokuto’s salty balls tasting?”

There's a moment of silence where Akaashi stares blankly at him, the rest of his desert still in his mouth. Kyoutani is the first to break the silence with a snort that eventually turns into a laugh. Yahaba joins him, followed shortly by Lev until their entire table is roaring with laughter, Akaashi not included.

When the waitress returns with the check, they're still riding out the last bit of giddiness they can collectively muster, the young woman looking a bit concerned as she hands the paper to Terushima.

“Awww, Keiji, Bokuto likes you.”

Narrowing his eyes, Akaashi snatches the paper away to skim through the charge lines. His lips press into a tight line once he's inspected it at least twice. Once the group finally vacates their table and makes it to the podium downstairs, Akaashi still has the check firmly in his grasp.

“Excuse me, miss.” He stops the waitress on her way past and holds up the paper. “My dessert isn't on this check.”

She fidgets nervously, as most people do around Akaashi. “Oh, the chef said it was on him.”

“On him?”

“Yes. He's paid for it.”

“No, that...I was provided with an off menu item and I insist that this man”─he jabs his thumb in Terushima's direction─“pay for it.”

“I'm sorry, sir, but…”

It's obvious she doesn't know what to say in this situation. Before anything else can happen, Yaku grabs Akaashi by the elbow. He takes the check to hand back to Terushima and pulls Akaashi away from the waitress.

He says his farewell to Terushima, whose hanging back waiting for Kai, and leads both Akaashi and Lev out of the restaurant. The other members of their party have already made their leave, no doubt to enjoy the rest of their Friday night plans together.

“That Bokuto-san seems really cool,” Lev remarks with a childish look of admiration.

“Do you wanna be that buff when you grow up?”

“Mock me now, Yaku-san, but I'm lacking positive male role models in my life. I really feel like Bokuto-san could pick up your slack.”

People give them looks when Yaku starts smacking him on the arms and torso, Lev laughing like an idiot, but he doesn't care.

_Wait._

Maybe he cares a little, but not as much as he used to. The feeling is...liberating.

“Well, you two have fun.”

Turning back, Yaku sees Akaashi turn to leave.

“Where are you going?”

“Home to wait for mother’s flight to arrive. She has no concept of time zones, it seems.”

Yaku checks the watch on his wrist. “...It’s only ten past twenty.”

“And she is going to be on Paris time and expect me to do the same,” he deadpans. “If I die, don't bother with a funeral.”

Shoving his hands into the pockets of his shorts, Akaashi makes his way off into the night.

Yaku really wants to know what he thinks of the obnoxious chef, but he isn't sure it's the right time to ask. So instead, he turns to his remaining companion.

“You heading to Hinata’s? I'll walk with you; children shouldn't be unaccompanied at night in downtown Tokyo.”

“Ha ha, you're hilarious,” Lev replies sarcastically. He takes long strides for the first minute just to watch Yaku struggle to keep up. “I do have something to ask you, though.”

When Yaku catches up, he looks up at Lev with a raised eyebrow.

“Okay, well...my mom wants to go to the beach before summer ends, right? But she's inviting my butthead cousins from Russia so I was like _‘no thank you,’_ but then Alisa was like _‘omg why don't you invite Yaku-san so you have company’_ and I was like _‘but Yaku-san is a responsible adult with a job and also has a stick up his ass and never takes vacations.’”_ He finally pauses just to stare down at the photographer accusingly.

“Did you know you speak in run on sentences?”

“Anyway. So my mom remembered she wants you to take pictures of us and told my dad that you could get some family pictures of us on the beach and stuff and my dad was like _‘sure, whatever.’_ So. Yaku-san, wanna go to Okinawa with me in a couple weeks? It'll be, like, a whole week paid vacation. Most of it would be us ditching my family.”

Yaku racks his brain for anything important going on at work this month. He mentally notes everything that they could possibly have to do and tries to estimate how long it could all take. When there's a light tug to the back of his shirt to indicate Lev's grabbed ahold of it, he looks up and regrets it. Lev stares down at him with pursed lips and hopeful eyes, like a child not sure if they're getting a present or not.

_Damn his stupid, gay heart._

“Fine. But only for the money.”

He has a hard time keeping up with Lev's excited strides the rest of the way to Hinata’s apartment.

“How's Totoro?” Fukunaga doesn't look up as he pours more sugar into his coffee than there is liquid. Watching him is enough to make Yaku's teeth ache.

“He's good, I think. The vet says he's a good weight for his age and he's slowly understanding how to properly function.” Lazily stirring his own beverage, Yaku looks out of the cafe window at the passing crowds, mind half in the casual conversation, half elsewhere. It feels like May was just a few weeks ago, but in reality it's been four months already. “I'm enjoying not having to deal with his fur while I can. So, I guess fuck you for giving me a giant cat that is also long haired.”

“Parenthood is a big responsibility. It's not my fault you weren't adequately prepared.”

“You can have Kuroo, too, so Totoro has a playmate,” Kenma adds. Despite having his recently bleached hair pulled back into a loose bun, it still manages to fall into his face.

“No, I think...I think Lev is enough man child for me.”

With a sigh that may or may not have been completely genuine, the blond turns back to his handheld game. Lately, Lev's been spending more time with Hinata who spends quite a bit of time with Kenma. It sort of amazes Yaku that Kenma hasn't murdered Lev yet. He...wouldn’t really blame him.

“Here comes trouble.” Fukunaga’s unwavering gaze is fixed on the Animal Control van that has just pulled into the tiny parking area of the cafe. From the driver's seat, a familiar tuft of blond mohawk pops out followed by a shaved head from the passenger's side. “Baby alert, Kenma.”

Indeed, Tanaka pulls his four year old out of the van, as well. Next to Yaku, Kenma sinks down into his seat with a grimace. He's never liked people very much, but especially not children. In a sick kind of irony, though, children seem to _love_ him.

“Could be worse,” the photographer comments.

Kenma doesn't really seem to care. Once the trio enter the cafe, Tanaka’s daughter immediately hones in on Kenma, rushing to him like a predator overtaking her prey as her father places an order with the barista.

“Uncle Kenma!” she squeaks in entirely too loud voice. “Hi!”

“Hello, Kuniko-chan.” Yaku tries to distract the child, but after a poorly coordinated wave, she's back to looking at Kenma.

“Uncle, do you see my shirt?” She pulls her shirt out by the hem so that the obnoxiously holographic Hello Kitty face is apparent. “Kitty!”

“I got a kitten recently, Kuniko-chan.”

Kuniko finally turns her bright eyes to Yaku. She darts around the table until she's right next to him, hands on his thigh so she can lean in. He pulls out his phone and opens a video he'd posted on Instagram. When he hands the phone to her, she watches intently. Whenever Totoro does anything in the video, she makes an exaggerated sound of joy, as tiny children often do.

“His name is Totoro.”

She looks back up at him with wide eyes and whispers, “I love Totoro-san.”

Yaku can't help but chuckle at her over the top expression. He's never been someone to dream of a future with children, so coming to terms with the fact that he'll never really get the chance never bothered him. But he doesn't mind children. If adults are incompetent, it's usually by their own doing. When children fuck up, though...well, he at least knows they're doing their best.

Once the video of Totoro loops a few times, she scrolls down through his Instagram posts, clicking everything she wants to look at like a pro. It's amazing how children raised with technology are such experts from young ages. It makes him wonder how adults who grew up while technological advancements were being made can't seem to comprehend connecting to wifi, let alone accurately navigating basic technology.

Tora and Tanaka join them with their own coffee and snacks, but Kuniko is determined to go through every photo and video of the kitten that she can find. When she pulls up a photo of Lev holding the fluffy cat, she pauses on it for a long while.

“Uncle Risuke, why does this uncle look different?” She holds the phone up as if to give him a better view of the person he's all too familiar with.

“He looks different because he's not fully Asian,” he explains. “His daddy is Japanese, like we are, but his mommy is from another country.”

Taking one last look at the picture, she seems satisfied with his answer. Handing back the phone, she hurries to where her father is sitting so she can climb into his lap and munch on a cookie.

“Where _is_ your shadow?” Tora asks.

“He isn't _always_ with me. He does his own thing, too.”

Tora shrugs at that, not entirely convinced, but also not entirely caring. Nobody in this particular group is very nosy, so the topic doesn't come back up. Instead, Kuniko weasels her way closer to Kenma so that she can braid his hair, the man in question tensing up like it's all he can do not to run out of the cafe.

You're doing great, Kenma.

Even Lev gets a good laugh from the Snapchat Yaku sends him. Once they're back from lunch, he's still giggling over the thought.

“Oi, cut it out.” Reaching up, he tugs on a lock of Lev's silver hair. “How do _you_ like it?”

“I don't mind if you're into that.”

He can feel his face heating up, but as he quickly lets go, Lev just grins at him like he's won something.

“You shouldn't say shit like that to your senpai,” he warns, but he knows how weak it sounds, especially considering all the mild hand holding they seem to be doing lately. He just wants to crawl under his bed and die of embarrassment.

Instead of backing off, the model leans in closer until their shoulders are pressed together.

_Why are you like this._

Standing abruptly, Yaku's rolling chair almost slams into the cubicle wall behind them. It's a good thing not many of the desks on this side of the floor are in use.

“C'mon, Lev, we've gotta get downstairs.”

They don't need to be there for another fifteen minutes, but his desk is feeling awfully small at the moment.

Lev doesn't protest, but his grin does become even more annoying. Ignoring him, Yaku grabs his camera bag and leads the way to the correct floor. He's happy they aren't being forced to travel anywhere for this shoot despite it being fairly large.

There's already chaos on set as various workers rush around to tend to the models who have already shown up. The lighting had been set up days ago, but even then there are several people tweaking the setup in a last minute attempt to assure perfection.

Terushima waves at them from the other side of the set. Unlike every other photo shoot Yaku has ever seen him at, the blond actually has on pants. For years, he was never able to get anything that he didn't have to be mostly naked for, but this time Oikawa pulled a few strings.

His shirt is still unbuttoned to show off his toned abs, but it's an improvement.

When Lev practically bounces over to Terushima, Yaku doesn't stop him. He gets himself ready just to have something to do.

“Isn't this a surprise.”

_No._

This can't be happening.

Narrowing his eyes, Yaku turns to scowl at the asshole behind him. Ishikawa smiles down at him, no doubt enjoying the height difference.

In hindsight, this was probably inevitable. It's still bullshit, though.

“Not a pleasant one.”

With a pretentious laugh, the model slaps Yaku on the back hard enough to make him stumble forward. It's entirely likely that being a dick is just in his genetics.

“Runway getting too hard for your old joints?”

Ishikawa laughs again. “Ah, I think I'm starting to like you. If you were cuter, maybe I'd even be interested in you.”

“What a shame for me. I think I might cry."

“Are you this sarcastic with everyone or am I just special?”

Instead of responding, Yaku goes back to fiddling with his camera. He doesn't hear anything from Ishikawa for so long he thinks the man must have walked away.

“So Lev really _is_ your little assistant?”

Already feeling on edge, Yaku practically jumps at the sudden question. He looks up at Lev where the guy is still chatting away happily with Terushima, then turns to look at Ishikawa over his shoulder.

“What's it to you?”

“Oh, I was just a little surprised...he’s a big boss's boy, yet gets demoted to some random photographer's assistant? I mean, he isn't really cut out for modeling from what I can tell, but I didn't think he'd be doing _this_.”

Objectively, Yaku knows everything Ishikawa just said is more or less true, but because it's him, it's all the photographer can do not to blow his lid.

“He's doing it because he wants to. That's all you really need to know.”

“Because he wants to, or because he wants _you?_ ”

Yaku gapes at him for a moment. He shakes his head with a scowl.

“Not everyone has ulterior motives. Maybe you were born with a crazy birth defect that makes you predisposed to being the biggest dick in the basket at all costs, but that's just _you_.” With an irritated huff, he takes a step towards Lev, but stops himself to turn back to Ishikawa. “I was serious the other day. You leave Lev the fuck alone. He's not interested in your bullshit anymore, alright?”

He doesn't bother waiting for a response he knows he won't like, so turning around one last time, he does his best not to stomp over to Lev and Terushima.

“Asshole supreme is here.”

Lev practically jumps out of his skin at the sudden remark. When he turns around to glare down at the photographer, he's completely red in the face.

“ _Yaku-san, what the fuck?!_ ” he groans. His mouth opens to say something else, but he catches sight of something over Yaku's shoulder, no doubt Ishikawa. “Oh...yeah...Terushima-san just told me…”

“Just stick with me, okay?”

He gives Lev's shoulder a few pats to draw in his attention.

“Did something happen with Sho?” Terushima asks curiously as he eyes Lev. “I didn't think you'd know him, Mori.”

Sneaking a look over his shoulder, Yaku briefly watches Ishikawa interacting with a handful of random strangers. Other than just hating his face in general, the man doesn't seem to be causing anyone any trouble.

“...He’s a shit bag and I don't want him around Lev,” he says sternly.

It's apparent there's a question waiting on Terushima's tongue by the way he raises his eyebrow, but he's got enough sense to swallow it. Yaku is grateful; it's not really anyone's business but Lev's.

Through the rest of the afternoon, Lev doesn't leave Yaku's side for a minute. He does seem to relax quite a bit at the lack of confrontation, which is for the best considering he may never truly be able to leave Ishikawa in the past. Their industry is large, but everyone crosses paths at some point, and there's not much that can be done about it. Work related issues aside, they're bound to meet again at any LGBT event or safe space. That's just how shit like this always goes.

Every time Ishikawa smiles at him, Yaku wants to swing his camera at the bastard’s annoyingly symmetrical face.

At first, he thinks he's being paranoid, but as the hours drone on it becomes more and more apparent that Ishikawa is watching him. Models don't usually give a shit about Yaku, their minds instead focused on when they can get the fuck out and find the nearest bar. Ishikawa won't stop watching him at every opportunity. He's like one of those creepy paintings where the eyes follow you around the room.

“Are you _sure_ nothing happened between you two?”

Yaku blinks at Terushima for a moment, but he's not given any more time to answer.

“I have eyes. He's been on you like a hawk. Lev is more glued to you than he usually is, and you've been staring at your meat bun for, like, five minutes.”

He drops the bun back on his plate with a huff of frustration. Double checking to make sure Lev's still in the bathroom, he leans in close.

“He's just...harassed Lev before, okay? And I don't want him doing it again.”

“And...no chance of you giving me all the juicy details?” The blond smiles sheepishly at Yaku's unamused glare. “Okay, okay. I get it. If I can, I'll help you guys out.” The glare turns into a look of curiosity. Terushima can't help but grin. “I've got my ways...can’t make any promises, but I'll see what I can do. I will say I wouldn't worry about him outing either of you. He wants to keep shit secret, too, from what I can tell.”

A bit stunned, Yaku manages to nod in understanding; through all of this, he'd never really considered Lev being outed before. It may be because he truly feels the Haiba family wouldn't mind, but it's Lev's secret to share when he's ready and willing to do so.

Nobody has the right to take that power away from him.

Even though all of Yaku's friends seemed to have their suspicions about him way back in high school, they didn't make any accusations. They never backed him into a corner or demanded to know the truth. He knew they'd accept him, but coming out on his own terms…

“I think I understand,” the blond interrupts his thoughts, fingers lightly drumming against the table. “Oh, to be young and in love…”

“You're younger than I am.”

“Yeah, but Lev's younger,” he shoots back. “A delicate little...giant flower. Like a sunflower!”

With a look of distaste, Yaku makes a vague gesture to say _are you serious right now?_ He can never really tell what's bullshit and what's serious when it comes to this guy.

“Shut up, Mori. Let your true feelings be known, this is a safe space.” He holds up his hands to motion generally at the small bun shop they currently inhabit. “Like a strong alpha male, you simply want to protect your adorable waifu. I think we can all relate to that.”

There are just not enough words to describe how much Yaku wants to kick Terushima right now.

“There were so many things wrong with that one sentence...but I would _not_ call Lev adorable.”

The look he's given would lead one to believe Yaku just confessed to the sickest fetish imaginable. Terushima literally brings a hand to his chest and audibly scoffs.

_“Morisuke.”_

_“What?”_

“You don't think Lev is adorable?!”

_“Should I?!”_

With one look from the shop owner, they both quiet down.

“If you truly like someone, you should _always_ think they're the most adorable, perfect angel to ever exist.”

There's a playfulness in Terushima's intense stare that makes Yaku roll his eyes.

“He is _not_ adorable.”

“Who's not adorable?”

How someone as loud, clumsy, and gigantic as Lev manages to sneak up on anyone is beyond Yaku. Slipping back into his seat, Lev looks suspiciously between them like he's walked in on some deep, dark secret they share.

_“You.”_

There's a long beat of silence as Lev stares at the man next to him blankly. For a moment, Yaku wonders if he even heard him. Then, just like that, Lev's eyes narrow.

“You don't think I'm cute?”

“No.”

The look of unamusement quickly turns into a full-on grimace.

“Yaku-san, you must need glasses in your old age because I am _the cutest_.”

A quick pinch to the arm is enough to shut him up. Across from them, Terushima just laughs like he heard the funniest joke in the world.

Halfway back from (second) lunch, the blond stops them by calling Lev's name.

“You're still modeling, right? Sho doesn't take jobs like this that often, but it still might be good to tell your agent you won't work with him. Just so nothing happens by chance.”

Yaku wants to slam his head into the nearest brick wall. _Why the fuck didn't he think of that?!_

“Just make sure they know not to tell anyone, just so no rumors start,” Terushima adds thoughtfully. As the center of plenty of drama, of course he'd know best how to avoid it.

“Ah...okay!” Lev nods intently. “Suga-san is nice, he'll definitely understand.”

Terushima gives him a thumbs up. After that, Lev's mood seems to improve quite a bit. He still hovers as close to Yaku as he can without actually hanging off of him, but he's not constantly looking over his shoulder, either.

At the end of the day, Yaku half expects Ishikawa to be waiting outside to harass them, but he's nowhere to be seen.

“Yaku-san! Don't forget about Okinawa!”

Lev stares down at him with his intense emerald eyes, as though looking at him hard enough will ensure he doesn't back out. Would it really matter if he did?

“I know, I know. I already said I'd go, didn't I?”

“Promise.”

Holding out the pinkie of his right hand, it seems Lev is dead serious about it.

The photographer wants to argue just for the sake of arguing, but it's been a long day, so he bites his tongue. Instead, he rolls his eyes and meets Lev's finger with his own. With that, they've made the unbreakable vow.

What the fuck is so important about Okinawa?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This week has been pretty shitty. It'll be okay, though, I'm just not sure how much it may affect future updates. We'll see.


	9. Someone get him off of this damn beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He panics for a moment. Had he said something wrong the day before? Was he glaring on accident? Did he forget to button his pants? _Did he forget to put on pants?!_

Despite never setting foot outside of Japan in all his twenty-seven years of life, Yaku hasn’t even bothered visiting many places outside of Tokyo, save for business trips. With his parents home so little through his young life, vacations were never really a thing in his household. Even as an adult, he can't say he does much. He works so that he can save up for what he hopes will be a better future. It's boring, but he's content.

He should probably feel more excited at the thought of a free vacation (how often does that happen), but all he can think about is _one week with the Haibas._ Turns out, that was the perfect thing to be anxious about.

On Sunday, the twenty-fourth of September, he arrived bright and early to the Haiba residence. Thanks to Liliya and Alisa, all four members of their immediate family were dressed and ready by the time the elevator doors opened. Lev looked absolutely miserable in his red button-up, and even more so after Yaku snuck a few pictures on his phone. _Worth it._

In addition to the Haibas, there had been three unfamiliar faces. Two young men and one teenage girl, all pale skinned, straw blond hair, and sky blue eyes. They were like the poster children for White People™ or something. The tallest (and apparently oldest) of the three was still several inches shorter than Lev, but still quite a bit taller than Yaku.

He was also annoying as fuck, more so than his shorter counterparts.

Kozmin, the tallest, was only a few months younger than Lev. His brother Sergei was a year behind with their little sister Yana at only sixteen.

_(There was no way he'd be remembering their damn names.)_

The oldest kept chatting away in Russian as Yaku was trying to take the family's picture. All that accomplished was prompting the women to respond with various expressions and ruining most of the photos. He wouldn't stop hovering over Yaku's shoulder, way too close for comfort, and asking in broken, beginner Japanese about his camera. While the Haibas changed into casual clothes for the plane ride, Kozmin wouldn't stop pestering his cousins. Alisa's cockatiel ended up biting the guy's hand when he wouldn't leave the birds alone. He wouldn't stop going through Lev's closet and pulling out whatever he found to be interesting.

Despite Yaku's fear of planes, the ride couldn't come soon enough. Fairly confident with the effectiveness of his recent medication changes, his good friend alcohol assisted him through the two and a half hour trip. Next to him, Lev was nearly vibrating the entire cabin fidgeting in his seat.

For someone who initially didn't want to go, he sure was pissing himself in excitement.

“Are you really that excited about hanging out on the beach? What's your deal?”

Alone in the hotel elevator, he watches Lev fiddle with the fidget spinner he'd gotten him. If he's not slipping it between his slender fingers, he's absentmindedly spinning it at his side. He's been hyperactive all fucking day.

The model shifts his weight around, mouth moving with the motion as though he's weighing words on his tongue.

“Don't worry about it.”

Once the elevator doors open, he rushes out as though he can put any real distance between them. A futile attempt considering they have adjoining rooms.

The rest of their party will be split between two suites several floors above them, leaving them more or less alone. He'd expected as much, but it's still a relief.

Liliya had apologized for his accommodations, but Yaku finds nothing wrong with his room. There's two queen beds (the only room type that would adjoin with one suitable for Lev), but other than that, nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, it's probably the nicest hotel room he's ever stayed in, complete with a beautiful view of the ocean.

He posts a picture to Instagram (Kuroo won't leave him alone about using his social media more often), then a few to Snapchat just to rub it in Kuroo's face. He doesn't bother to unpack (seriously, it's only a week, why wouldn't he just live out of his suitcase), instead heading over to the adjoining door. He unlocks and opens the first of two doors, then proceeds to pound on Lev's door. He refuses to let up until the second door is flung open, Lev glaring down at him.

“Just making sure you're still there.”

Rolling his eyes, Lev goes back to unpacking clothes and toiletries. Instead of doing anything to help, Yaku stands in the doorway watching for a long moment. No matter how much time they spend together, it's still insane to him just how tall this guy is.

“So your cousins seem...nice? The tall one is very, uh, enthusiastic.”

Lev shakes his head in annoyance. “Kozmin is nice, but he's really, really annoying. All he does when he visits is drag me around to help him meet girls, then he expects me to be his wingman, or something. And it's like _I can't translate for you because I hardly understand what you're saying!_ ” He takes a seat on the edge of the mattress, long legs stretched out in front of him. “...Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure he's part of the reason I realized I wasn't into girls? He'd always point them out and I just didn't care. Maybe he stole all my straightness, I don't fucking know.”

Choking on a laugh, Yaku plops down beside him, bumping their shoulders together.

“Since my cousins are here for the beach, I think Kozmin should leave me alone.”

“Are we not doing the beach at all?”

“Hmm?” Looking up from his lap, Lev shakes his head. “No, I do want to spend time with my family. I just don't want to spend the whole week with them, just like a couple of days. I mean, look at me.” He holds up his pale arms as though Yaku could have possibly missed them. “I'm not exactly built for direct sunlight.”

Bringing a hand up to cover his face, Yaku can't help but chuckle at that. He shakes his head with a sigh.

“You poor, poor thing.”

“Thank you. I hope this has enlightened you as to why you should coddle me instead of hit me.”

“Yeah? How about if my foot _‘coddles’_ the inside of your ass?”

Lev plops down backwards onto the bed, his legs still sprawled out over the edge. “Yaku-san, I think the reason you don't have a girlfriend is all this pent up aggression. You're very vulgar.”

“Oh, am I?” Yaku pulls himself all the way onto the bed. Propping himself up on his elbows, he lays next to his companion. “Well, if I'm reading things right, maybe not for long. I think your mom is trying to set me up with your sister. A desperate move since I'm, like, a four, and your sister is closer to a ten.”

He really wishes he had his phone out to capture the look of sheer disgust that overtakes Lev's face.

“Okay. One, my mom trying to get you and my sister together is something I'm trying to block from my brain, and so I will not acknowledge anything about the subject. Two, don't rate my sister! Why would you do that?! And three, don't be so hard on yourself. I'd give you a five on a good day.”

“What? I can think your sister is pretty.”

“Yeah, but she's still my sister!”

Without really thinking about it, Yaku puts a hand over Lev's mouth. The two stare at one another for a long moment.

“Don't talk to your future brother-in-law like that.”

His hand is smacked away almost instantaneously.Lev covers his face in exasperation. “Nooooooooooo, don't fucking say that! It's so gross!”

All Yaku can really do is laugh uncontrollably. Still scowling, Lev starts pushing him towards the edge of the bed with his feet.

“Go home! I don't wanna hang out anymore!”

Yaku makes an honest attempt to apologize, but it's pretty fucking difficult through all of the laughter. He's pretty sure something has broken in his brain and this will be how he dies.

There's a small knock on the door and the two freeze, Lev with his legs bent, ready to push the photographer off the bed, and Yaku doing his best to suppress his smile. Despite the knock, there's no more than a second before they hear the sound of the key reader beeping, then the door being tentatively pushed open. Alisa stops when she sees them both red-faced and sprawled out on the bed.

“Am I...interrupting?”

With that, Lev extends his legs, shoving Yaku over the edge in one go. For a scrawny beanpole, he's not nearly as fragile as he looks.

Despite hitting the carpet with a loud _thud_ and feeling pain shoot up his shoulder, the fall seems to bring the laughter back in full force. He feels like a mad man laughing on the floor over something so fucking stupid, but Alisa's perfect timing just adds onto the pile of idiocy.

“Call the police. Yaku-san is being terrible!”

Readjusting until he's in a sitting position, Yaku runs a hand through his sandy hair. His face is still split in a shit-eating grin as Alisa looks between them in confusion.

“I'm sorry, okay? From the bottom of my tiny, cold heart.”

“You don't look sorry!”

The pillow he takes to the face comes clear out of nowhere, and, quite frankly, is completely uncalled for.

“I'm glad you two are having fun,” Alisa finally speaks up. “Don't forget about dinner, though.”

Halfway through getting back on his feet, Yaku wants to sink to the floor again. Spending time with Lev's family had been one of his main concerns about this trip. Alisa is mostly fine, but still unfamiliar enough to be exhausting to him. Liliya seems to be very friendly, but she's still a generation away and thinks with the straightest part of her brain. Kozmin is annoying as fuck, but at least he'll be shipped back to Russia after the week is over. The other two cousins may be strangers, but at least they're well behaved. Lev's father, though...Katsurou is just so serious, and probably the biggest potential issue in Lev and Yaku's relationship. Not that he's necessarily worried, but Lev seems terrified enough of his father’s potential disapproval.

After a few reassurances from Lev, Alisa takes her leave, albeit with a final awkward glance between the boys.

“Yaku-san, you look like you have to take a dump.”

Yaku throws the pillow back at Lev, hitting him in the chest.

“Show me more respect.”

“Yaku-san-sama, you look like you have to take a dump.”

“If I have to shit, it's none of your business,” he snaps back. He'd leave it at that, but there's something that stops him from simply changing the subject. That'd be too easy, wouldn't it? “I'm just thinking...about your family and me being here…it's just a little awkward, isn't it?”

Lev readjusts on the bed, crossing his legs and hugging the pillow to his chest. “Well, yeah, but...my mom just wants me to have ‘family time’ for like a day or two, and the rest of the week will just be us! Plus, I'm pretty sure my dad already forgot you're here.” His brow knits together as he takes a moment to think. “Okay…I've got some ideas for stuff we can do, so, I just...I hope that by the end of the week, it'll be worth it.”

“Wait...what the fuck are you planning, exactly?”

“Don't worry about it.”

He narrows his eyes at Lev suspiciously. The model's only response is to give him two thumbs up and a stupid smile.

Later that evening, Yaku realizes Lev's dad should be the least of their worries. All through dinner he seems to be glaring down at his phone, snatching it up the moment it buzzes to check over new messages. Liliya looks about ready to throw the device into the ocean.

Sergei and Yana monopolize Alisa’s attention, the three in their own little Russian speaking world. Kozmin does his best to chat Yaku up, but even with the language barrier, the foreigner seems to realize that Yaku is boring and won't introduce him to any cute girls. When the blond turns to Lev, all he gets are videos of Totoro or Kenma’s cats until Kozmin gives up on him, as well.

Overall, not the worst dinner he's ever been to.

Afterwards, Alisa and Yana drag the boys all around the area surrounding their hotel. Yaku learns that, like Lev, Alisa is a fairly physical person. She means well, he's sure of it, but he still can't help using Lev as a buffer between them. From the stress of overthinking about Ishikawa, regular work fatigue, the strain of flying, and the anxiety of being in an unfamiliar place, he just doesn't want to deal with being manhandled by someone he doesn't know well enough. When Alisa grabs Lev and Lev grabs Yaku, it's much more tolerable. In fact, Kozmin mentions how close they must be.

Lev practically shits himself.

With a smile, Alisa says something in Russian that has Kozmin nodding. After that, nobody really seems to care.

Despite the absence of any real insinuations, Lev keeps his distance the rest of the night.

“You have to relax a bit.”

A moment later, Lev's naked torso pops through the adjoining doorway of their rooms.

“I'm fine,” he lies.

“Yeah, _okay_. Seriously, though. You've gone nearly twenty-two years being gay without anyone calling you out. Your cousins won't suddenly put together any pieces. People generally project their ideas of normalcy onto others, so I'm sure they'll continue assuming you're straight."

“Okay, but, and hear me out...what if, like, Kozmin is actually a genius and can hear our gay thoughts or something?”

Yaku makes sure Lev can visibly tell he's rolling his eyes.

“You could probably walk up to him and say _‘holy shit, I love me some good dick’_ and he'd have no idea what you were saying. He'd probably nod.”

That earns him a snort. Pulling his own shirt over his head, Yaku balls it up before throwing it at Lev's face.

“Let me change in peace, pervert.”

“Don't leave your door open, then!”

Lev sticks out his tongue, but does duck back into his own room long enough for Yaku to change into his sleeping clothes; a simple shirt just a few sizes too large and some shorts. In the other room, Lev's shirt hangs over the side of his open suitcase, completely forgotten as he watches the TV with rapt attention. Instead of an anime, he's watching an ocean documentary.

“I hate sharks.”

“Sharks are cool, though,” Lev replies absentmindedly. He makes a show of scooting over, as though the bed isn't already big enough for both of them to occupy, regardless of his position on it.

Shaking his head, Yaku joins him for a long night of documentaries. His companion must be exhausted because Lev hardly talks the entire time except to comment on sea creatures he finds to be particularly fascinating. When he finally falls asleep, he's still sitting up against the headboard, resting his head on Yaku's shoulder. The photographer is careful not to disturb him too much as he scoots his way off the bed, making sure to lay Lev down as gently as he can manage. There are a few sleepy attempts to pull him back into bed, but Yaku manages to narrowly escape with his life.

Getting sleeping Lev to adjust himself into a proper sleeping position is much harder. Instead of scooting down the bed to be able to stretch out, he curls up with his back to the headboard, hugging one of the pillows tightly.

With a lot of leg pulling, Yaku gets Lev stretched out diagonally across the bed. It's good enough, so he throws a blanket over him, turns off the TV, and retreats back into his own room for the night. Unlike the last hotel they stayed at, there's no ice machine to hum him to sleep and Lev's light snoring sounds so far away.

Still, it's been an exhausting day. Once his head hits the pillow, he's out for a dreamless night's sleep that feels all too short.

He wakes up to a feeling of panic at ten sharp, his body anxious about not waking up for work.

He rolls around under the comforter in an attempt to get back to sleep, but the damage is done. The only logical next step is to get up and pull Lev out of bed, too.

Through squinting eyes, Lev glares at him, though ultimately complies. They snag breakfast together and manage to avoid the rest of their group. Closer to noon is when Alisa comes to retrieve them for a day of happy beach fun time.

_Yay._

Yaku trails close behind Lev, paying little attention to where they're going or what they're doing. Marble floors turn to wood planks turn to sand as they make their way down the beach. Despite the unforgiving sun, the cool breeze that blows from the ocean makes it bearable.

They stop in a fairly deserted area a little ways off from the hotel and begin laying out towels and setting up umbrellas. Without his phone in sight, Lev's father seems a little more than agitated and just a bit twitchy.

“If your dad decides to murder someone, chances are it'd be me.”

He's only partially joking.

“It'll be okay.” Lev smiles down at him without a care in the world. “Dad is a workaholic, so he hates when Mom takes his phone away. He'll calm down eventually. Plus, if you stay on the sidelines, he probably won't even notice you and go for Kozmin instead.”

Next to them, Kozmin perks up at the mention of his name. Yaku gives him a stoic thumbs up and he returns it enthusiastically. Honestly, he and Lev aren't all that different.

When setup is complete, Liliya is the first to remove her sundress. Despite them being on a beach vacation, seeing her in a bikini is probably the most awkward experience Yaku's had in awhile. At least, it was until Yana does the same, only to be wearing an even more revealing swimsuit.

_Who is responsible for this child??_

He averts his eyes before anyone can get the wrong impression. He and Katsurou are the last ones left with clothes still on.

“Are you swimming or not?”

Lev is struggling to apply sunscreen properly. He's leaving streaks of white all over his skin wherever he can't properly see. Reaching up to help, Yaku takes a quick glance around to make sure everyone else is also occupied.

“If I said no, would you leave me alone?”

“Nope.”

This close and without a shirt, he can smell Lev’s deodorant. The fact that he enjoys the scent is beginning to concern him.

Once Lev is taken care of, Yaku hesitates with his own shirt, hands gripping the hem.

_Just like getting into water...do it all in one go…_

The air hits his bare skin. He barely remembers the last time he went swimming, the last time he was shirtless in public.

Back in high school, he played competitive volleyball. He was healthy back then. Fit. He's not toned like he once was, but he's not more than a bit pudgy now, either. Just kind of... _meh._

Years change so much.

_I'm thinking too much about this._

He's well on his way to spiraling into self loathing, but a pair of cold, wet hands flattening against his back and keep him from sinking any further into his own head.

_“Lev!”_

“What?? You can't reach your own back!”

_“Not the point.”_

He hears the sound of Lev blowing a raspberry before he feels the tiny sensations of _gross-nasty spit droplets hitting his fucking skin, he is going to commit murder._

Lev finishes the application by pressing hand prints into Yaku's chest to rid them of excess sunscreen. He's vaguely reminded of an old Disney movie, but can't recall the scene or which movie. Shaking the thought from his head, he covers the rest of his body thoroughly (fuck you skin cancer) while Lev rushes off to throw his sister into the water.

_Maybe he won't notice if I just…_

He looks back to see Liliya and Katsurou sitting together under an umbrella, Liliya attempting to rub the stress out of her husband's shoulders. They're such an odd couple. A sufficient distance away, Sergei (Yaku awards himself ten points for remembering) is laying in the sunshine giving absolutely zero shits.

With a sigh, he makes his way to the edge of the water, making sure to kick his flip flops off a sufficient distance away from the waves. While Yana occupies herself blowing up an inner tube, he watches the other three playing together in the shallow water. Waves crash around his calves and for the moment he feels the anxiety lessen.

Overall, it's been getting better, but it's probably something he'll always have to deal with. That's okay. He can manage.

Ahead of him, he sees Lev get knocked face first into the ocean by his cousin. For as irritating as he finds Kozmin, Lev seems to be having fun with him. Not that borderline trying to drown one another constitutes fun in Yaku's book, but idiots are gonna idiot.

He sits in the wet sand and lets the incoming waves wash over his lower half. It isn't surprising when Alisa gives up on policing her juniors to join him. Her hair has been braided to keep it out of the way, falling down over one shoulder in that picture perfect way that shouldn't really exist without hours of maintenance. He's pretty sure she's just naturally ridiculously beautiful.

“Thank you for agreeing to come with us.”

For some reason, he startles when she speaks. “Oh, uh, no problem. Lev kind of insisted, though, so...I hope I'm not intruding.”

“Oh, no! Lev didn't want to come until you'd agreed to join us. He can be so stubborn sometimes. We don't get to see Mom's side of the family very often, so she would have been pretty unhappy if he'd stayed home.”

She gives him a warm smile, her mismatched eyes bright in the light of the summer sun.

“Alisa, I hope you don't mind me asking, but why didn't you go into modeling? I know tons of people who'd kill to have you work for them.”

A faint dusting of pink appears across her pale cheeks as she averts her eyes. “Ah, well I had thought about it, but I ended up following in my father's footsteps, instead.”

“Oh. Business degree?”

She gives him a small nod. “It's not as easy, but I do enjoy it quite a bit. Besides, if I do it, Lev shouldn't be pressured into it. He may be the only son, but I'm still the eldest child.”

Alisa hugs her knees to her chest. Resting her head in the dip between her knees, she watches her little brother further off in the water. He and Kozmin seem to be testing how far out they can walk while keeping their heads above water.

Yana finishes inflating her inner tube and heads out to wade through the waves.

“Yaku-san!” After successfully asserting his water based dominance over his cousin, Lev seems to have remembered Yaku's existence. He makes his way back to the shallow beach, making sure to splash as much water with each stride as humanly possible. “You should be _in_ the water!”

Waving his hands through the steady waves around him, Yaku gives him a look. “I'm literally sitting in the water, you dumb dumb.”

“I mean you should be in the water playing with me. Duh.”

“Are you a man or a child? It can be hard to tell.”

Lev kicks water at him, but the photographer doesn't so much as flinch. He expected it. What he doesn't expect is Lev bending down next to him and just...picking him right the fuck up, like he's got a permit to carry dudes or something.

Instinctively, Yaku clings to him for fear of being dropped from this deadly new height.

“Agh, why are you so heavy?!”

“Because _fuck_ you, that's why!”

“Lev!”

He ignores his sister, instead making a half-assed attempt to rush back into the ocean. With his brain waterlogged, Lev fails to understand concepts such as weight distribution and center of mass; instead of carrying his captive off towards the horizon, a large wave comes crashing in, knocking them both backwards into the water. Despite his best efforts, seawater still gets into Yaku's nose and mouth and just...fish _pee_ in this.

He resurfaces to hear Kozmin cackling and Alisa scolding her little brother. Beneath her, Lev appears to be sitting in the sand since his head is only half protruding from the water. His darkened hair is plastered down in streaks over his face, but Yaku can still see the embarrassment as he refuses to meet anyone's eyes.

Yaku sighs. Stepping forward, he bends down to hook his left arm around Lev's and extends his right hand towards Alisa in a gesture of calm.

“It's fine,” he assures her.

It takes some effort, but Lev gives in to letting Yaku pull him up out of the water.

“But…! He could have hurt you both─”

“Yeah, he knows.”

Pulling Lev back towards the beach, Yaku doesn't let go until he plops down onto the moist sand near the water's edge. Lev doesn't follow at first, so Yaku snaps his fingers and points to the space in front of him. Lev is obviously suspicious, but he takes his seat cautiously before pushing the wet hair straight back out of his face.

_Oh no, he's hot._

Yaku stops his hand from instinctively reaching for the phone or camera that he currently doesn't have.

_You can be hopelessly gay later, Morisuke._

“You're in time out.”

_“What??”_

“Shut up and build me a sand castle.”

Lev's expression quickly turns from one of bemusement to disbelief as Yaku begins piling up sand between them. When Lev doesn't follow suit, Yaku throws sand at his chest.

“Do stupid shit, get stupid punishments.”

“I'm a grown man, Yaku-san. You can't _make_ me do anything.”

Stopping in his tracks, Yaku stares straight at Lev, unblinking with mouth set into an unamused frown. Lev straightens up a bit before rising to the challenge, his emerald eyes going wide as he concentrates on staring his senior down.

They must look so fucking stupid right now.

It's totally worth it to see Lev break after just a minute or so. He lets out a frustrated groan and reluctantly shoves his hands into the damp sand. He slaps handfuls overtop of the mound Yaku had started, all the while with a frustrated pout on his face. Regardless, they continue to build and expand until they have something vaguely resembling a castle. It's pathetically uneven and inconsistently chunky, but the more they build, the more into it Lev gets. He's sticking out his tongue ever so slightly, his eyes locked onto the miniature structure with that intensity he sometimes has. Even Sergei and Kozmin join them. They bring twigs, leaves, shells, and various other little objects with which to decorate and fortify the castle.

At a certain point, Yaku just sits back and watches Lev and Kozmin go to town as Sergei digs out a little moat. It's beautiful, really. At least, it is until Kozmin loses his balance and takes half the structure out with his fucking knee. Behind them, Alisa makes a sound of disappointment.

Rest in peace, shitty community sand castle.

At least it served its purpose of cheering Lev up, though now he's watching Kozmin’s every move with murderous intent. He looks much more similar to his father when he's glaring like this.

The second day at the beach isn't much different than the first. Yaku brings his camera this time (totally not as an excuse to keep his shirt on and stay out of the water) and photographs whatever catches his eye. If half the pictures are of Lev, nobody else will ever know.

Ever.

He does manage to get Alisa to pose for him. She's just as photogenic today as any other, her pale blonde locks pulled back into a high ponytail that whips around when she moves her head. On the sidelines, he knows her parents are watching. When he'd mentioned to Lev that he thought his mother was interested in hooking him up with Alisa, he'd mostly been teasing. By the way Liliya smiles and Katsurou glares, he thinks there may be more truth to it than he initially thought.

And of course Lev himself is pouting off on his own.

“You're supposed to be here as my friend,” Lev complains once Yaku asks him about it later that night. “What if...I dunno what if she thinks you like, like her or something, then she starts liking you and you have to break her heart?!”

He punctuates his exclamation by throwing his hands up in the air.

“Um...I wouldn't worry about it. Your sister is way out of my league.”

“Is she, though?!”

“Yes, you doofus. We've been over this. Your sister is, to put it bluntly, way too hot for my average, broke ass.”

Lev's brow furrows, presumably at hearing his friend call his sister hot. It looks like there's a million thoughts swirling around his normally vacant mind. Then, just as quickly as things had escalated, the tension drains from his shoulders as he slumps forward in his bed.

“An attractive person could probably fall for you.”

He's never heard Lev sound or look so vulnerable in the five months they've known each other. It pulls at a few heartstrings Yaku never thought he actually had. It's difficult not to ruin the moment with an instinctive slap of sass, but he somehow manages to keep that and anything self deprecating from escaping his own head.

“Well...regardless. I wouldn't do anything if I thought it'd hurt your sister. She's a nice person.”

“Yeah. Yeah, she is.”

Yaku reaches out and ruffles Lev's silver hair. Then, he combs his fingers through it, pushing the long bangs back against his scalp to get a good look at him.

Lev is one of those people with an unnaturally symmetrical face. Nearly everything on his right side mirrors his left, save for the tiniest of details that most people would never even notice.

“Yaku-san?”

“You don't like modeling very much, do you?”

“Ahh, I mean, I guess I can't really say I love it or hate it?” He sits rigid while Yaku continues to look him over, pushing his hair this way or that, framing his face with his hands while taking in every tiny detail. “It's not as easy as my mom made it out to be...it’s easy, but I guess not really for me? I don't know…”

“You don't like modeling and you don't like business.” Releasing his hold on Lev's head, Yaku sinks back to retake his place on the bed. “Was there anything you thought about doing? Even if it was something you didn't think your parents would approve of.”

Lev hums while he considers the question. “Well, in a serious sense, I did think I wanted to be a police officer when I was in middle school. But then high school me realized that was a dumb idea and I thought about running an animal shelter. That way, I could take care of so many dogs and cats! But I probably couldn't do that, either…”

“Maybe not, but you could still try to find work at an animal shelter. Or even volunteer work. I think they're always in need of people to play with the animals. Tora and Tanaka have connections, so just ask one of them.”

“Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“Not really. I just want you to be able to do something you might actually enjoy.”

Like with every completely genuine smile of his, Lev's face could light the room.

At some point later that night, Lev had somehow made his way to Yaku's bed (not the spare bed, either) and actually convinced him to allow him to stay. How it happened, no one can be sure of. In their previous experiences sharing a single bed, they'd both keep to their own side (and Lev had been wearing a shirt). This time, Lev ends up clinging to Yaku in his sleep. It's not really comfortable or uncomfortable, it's just been awhile since someone was this close to him.

The feeling is both exhilarating and terrifying.

It takes him a bit longer to find sleep, but Lev's soft, steady snoring and the warmth radiating from him eventually ease the anxiety.

He wakes up again at ten the next morning. With Lev still clinging onto him, he decides to drift back off. In his half asleep dream state, he thinks he hears a door open, but chooses to ignore it. Any sounds after that simply merge into his dreams and are forgotten for the time being.

They only really see the whole family at breakfast that day. Alisa would normally greet them in a cheery way that should be illegal before noon, but not this morning. This morning, she takes one look at Yaku and almost drops her drink.

He panics for a moment. Had he said something wrong the day before? Was he glaring on accident? Did he forget to button his pants? _Did he forget to put on pants?!_

His mind is racing, combing through his most recent memories. Finally, he faintly remembers hearing someone entering Lev's room and─

Well, shit. She totally saw them. There's not even a way to defend it. Maybe if they'd been sleeping in Lev's giant bed with at least a foot between them they could write it off. But no, they'd been crammed together like two lost lovers reunited after a long war.

...Lev can never know.

Everyone but Yaku, Lev, and Sergei go out snorkeling for the day, which makes avoiding Alisa pretty easy. He still worries about what she must be thinking, but some pizza and video games do well to distract him. Sergei completely destroys them both in Smash Bros. He doesn't know a single word of Japanese and doesn't try to bullshit it, so Yaku kind of respects him. Even if he says what Yaku can only assume to be the Russian equivalent of _“suck a dick"_ in the most monotonous tone any time he steals a victory.

Despite previous events, when Lev asks him to stay in his room that night, Yaku doesn't protest. Apparently he has a hard time sleeping in hotels. It's not a stretch to believe him.

The next day─Thursday─is the day that Lev's family set aside for boating. Yaku would have opted out either way, but Lev also decided to stay behind. So, instead of bothering his companion, Yaku allows him to sleep in. It _has_ been a long week and they're both becoming pretty exhausted.

Lev rolls out of bed shortly after noon, stumbling his way back into his room with all the grace of a drunk toddler. Yaku hears a dull thump of what he assumes to be Lev sleepily bumping into a wall. A groggy _“fuck me"_ follows, so his assumption is probably correct. A few minutes later, Lev returns fully dressed, just to face plant into Yaku's bed, chest hitting the photographer's lap through the comforter.

There's no time for Yaku to respond. Lev shoots back up, propping himself up on his hands.

“Are you ready for the best day ever?!”

“Yes…?”

Their eyes lock. Lev's expression is completely serious for a fairly long moment until a grin splits across his face.

“Let's go~”

It's still hot as balls outside, but Lev is practically skipping down the street with excitement. They stop in a small cafe for breakfast and Lev quite literally slaps Yaku's hand away when he tries to pay for them. They take their pastries and bubble tea on the road and the cool liquid does make the walk more manageable. The city itself doesn't necessarily seem special, but Lev is still bouncing around like a kid at a theme park.

A small group of girls ends up stopping them. One of them says something to Lev in another language. With a snicker, Yaku has to inform them that Lev definitely does not speak English. Apologizing, he pushes Lev past before they can think of another excuse to talk to him. It's not the first time Lev's been stopped because someone thought he knew English and it's not the first time he's been stopped because girls wanted to hit on him.

“Why do people assume I know English?”

“If someone doesn't know any better, it's easy to think you're a foreigner. You don't look very Asian.”

Lev blows a raspberry with his mouth, his eyes squinting closed. Instead of dwelling on it, his gaze finds a novelty shop and they're suddenly rushing forward to look through the shop window. It's all pretty cheesy, but Lev likes looking at dumb shit, so Yaku doesn't stop him.

When they start walking again, it becomes pretty obvious that if Lev did make any plans for today, he didn't actually plan anything out. He keeps checking his phone and spinning around like he's trying to get his bearings. Yaku would be irritated if they had any sort of schedule to maintain; but as it stands, he's just content to see the city and hatch some Pokémon eggs on his phone.

“Stop posting pictures of me and saying I'm lost!”

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

“I get Instagram notifications from you! I see what you're doing!”

“Shut up and take this selfie for me with your freakishly long arm.”

“Get a selfie stick, grandpa.”

Ignoring him, Yaku shoves his phone into Lev's hand. Reaching up, he pulls him down by the collar. Lev puts his free arm around Yaku's shoulder, pulling him in until their faces are touching. He can feel the muscles moving against his cheek as Lev grins like an asshole.

“There you go.”

Instead of handing his phone back, Lev holds it out of reach, cycling through filters and posting the image for him.

“I can still delete that.”

“Yeah, but we both know Oikawa-san and Kuroo-san have already seen it."

Yaku rolls his eyes, but he knows it's true. Looking at the picture, they both look a little ridiculous, what with their faces pressed together, Lev's goofy grin, and his own surprised grimace. He's got at least a sliver of humanity left, enough to think it's actually kind of cute.

But just a little bit.

“Agh, why is everything driving distance away!”

“Flag down a cab, then.”

_“Never.”_

Lev's wandering eventually takes them into a street market. There's mostly a shit ton of fish, but also plenty of fruit stands and food stalls lining the streets. Lev pretty much wants to try everything and...shit, so does Yaku.

Lev thinks he's stealthy taking pictures of Yaku stuffing his face.

He’s not.

Along their walk, they stop at tourist trap after tourist trap so that Lev can look at every single odd and end. Eventually, they come across a park and spend a good chunk of the evening lounging in the grass and finding bugs. Well, Lev finds bugs. Yaku Snapchats them to Oikawa with captions like _I've found your people._ He eventually gets a Snap back that's just Oikawa flipping him off, and they both have a giggle fit right there in the grass.

When the laughter dies down, they're both laying side-by-side. The sun is close to setting, but isn't quite there. When he feels a gentle tug on his pinkie finger, Yaku turns his head, eyebrow raised. It's one of the few times he's seen Lev look genuinely nervous.

“What's up?”

Lev's lips part just slightly, but he ends up shutting them without a word. He tries again, but it turns into a sigh. His entire face slowly flushes.

“I was just thinking...about stuff…”

“Yeah? What kinda stuff?”

They stare at one another for a long moment. Lev's fingers run up and down over the knuckles of Yaku's hand. It's more nervous fidgeting than anything romantic.

Without any warning, Lev shoots up in a sitting position.

“I'm hungry again, Yaku-san.”

It's a bit disappointing, but he's not going to push it. They both get back on their feet and Lev leads them out of the park. They get lost again when Lev absentmindedly follows a random cat, but this time Yaku does stop him at a certain point so that they can get back on track. They may have stuffed themselves at lunch, but it really has been a long day of walking around in the heat.

They pass shop after shop, restaurant after restaurant, but Lev ignores every single one.

“I thought you were hungry?”

Lev ignores him until he slaps him on the back.

“Almost there.”

Of course that means another fifteen minute walk. The sun has started setting by now, so at least it's no longer frying their skin.

Lev's destination is a tiny noodle shop surrounded by tourists and locals alike. With a bright grin, he points like he's found something magical.

“Here! Noodles!”

“Yeah, I can see there are noodles.”

“Don't be a dick! They have stir fry! You better love it!”

Food in hand, they try to find somewhere to actually sit. Thanks to Lev's second story view, he manages to spot a table just as it becomes available. Of course everyone parts without a second thought for him, one of the advantages of being so damn big.

As it turns out, the stir fry is pretty damn good. That doesn't mean Lev should look so pleased as though he had anything to do with it.

They eat in mostly silence, but that's okay. It's comfortable. Even if Lev keeps looking at him like he's got something to say.

“Take a picture, it'll last longer.”

Why is he surprised when Lev actually takes a picture.

“Yaku-san has freckles.”

Yaku groans. “Only when I get too much sun. And guess what we've been doing all week…”

Lev chuckles at that. He seems to be more at ease.

“Don't worry, it's cute.”

It's Yaku's turn to flush.

“A man in his mid twenties doesn't want to be cute.” He picks at his vegetables with his cheap wooden chopsticks. “Instead of saying stupid shit, why don't you tell me what you wanted to earlier?”

That shuts him up, though from the torn look on his face, he seems to be considering it.

And then Black Pink starts blaring from Lev's pocket. With a groan, he reluctantly answers it.

“Hello? Yeah, we're just eating...huh? No I haven't─what? When?! _Really??_ Ugh...do I have to…? Fine...yes, okay! I will!”

If he still had a flip phone, he'd no doubt snap it shut with full force. As it is, Lev taps the end call button on his smartphone with all the irritation he can muster in one finger. Glaring down at his phone, he taps away.

“Kozmin got lost looking for us,” he grumbles. “I'm sending him our location...that jackass…”

Once he's done on his phone, Lev's head audibly hits the tiny round table with an exaggerated groan. Under the table, Yaku feels Lev's hand on his knee. It takes him a moment to understand, but once he does, he grabs Lev's hand in return. Finishing off his food without the use of his dominant hand is difficult, but he manages.

“Found you!” Kozmin announces nearly half an hour later. The murder on Lev's face seems to go right over his head. “Having fun?”

“Loads.”

He doesn't seem to understand Lev, so Yaku gives him a more polite nod.

Considering his next words, Kozmin consults his phone first, no doubt to check a translator. “What were you going to do next?”

“Was gonna go to the pier…”

Yaku takes it upon himself to simplify it. “Going to see the ocean.”

Kozmin nods his understanding. It takes a few minutes, but Yaku manages to get a grumpy Lev out of his seat and moving again. Usually, it's Yaku who has to strain to keep up with Lev, but tonight it's the other way around. With Kozmin leading the way back to the beach, Yaku has to practically drag Lev along to keep them all together. The long walk back is even longer without Lev chatting away. Since they're going in a straight line instead of every which way, they get back after about an hour. Kozmin even leads them straight to the nearest pier.

The night sky is beautiful out over the ocean. It would probably be pretty fucking romantic if a certain someone weren't present.

Leaning his weight on the railing, Yaku sees Lev do the same out of his peripheral vision. Chancing a glance, he sees a deep frown on the model's face; it still looks like he's ready to murder something.

“We had a pretty good day, right?”

In front of him, Lev's hands are busy with a small figurine he had purchased earlier in the day. He turns it around and around with his slender fingers, feeling every dip and groove.

“Yeah, I know,” he seethes. “But we weren't fucking finished.” With a frustrated grunt, Lev bows his head over the railing in defeat. “I know I shouldn't be this mad right now, I just am, okay?”

“Okay.”

Another, more strangled noise escapes Lev's throat. Yaku reaches out tentatively and gently rubs the base of Lev's neck. He lets out a content hum.

“Lev okay?”

Yaku turns to give Kozmin a small smile. “He's tired from walking.” To avoid any confusion, he mimes someone walking with the fingers of his free hand.

“Ah, hot.”

“Yup. It was pretty hot.”

He continues rubbing Lev's neck until Kozmin finally leaves. Once they're alone, Lev leans his weight against the photographer. They stand like that for a long while, looking off over the crashing ocean. He's pretty sure both of their legs are almost jelly at this point, but neither make a move to leave.

“So.” Yaku finally breaks the silence. “What's all this been about?”

When Lev turns to look at him, their faces are only inches apart. In the darkness of the night, his eyes look almost black, like two infinite pits you could fall into forever.

“It's a secret.”

“What? Why?”

“Kozmin must have been a sign. So, I think I'll wait and tell you some other time.” The smile on his face is mischievous, like he's some sort of mastermind. “But I guess there is something I wanted to ask you. Is it weird that I still call you Yaku-san?”

Yaku raises an eyebrow. “That's random. I guess it kinda is since we're more friends than colleagues, but I just never really thought too much about it.”

“You call Oikawa-san Oikawa-san, though, and you're both friends.”

“Yeah, but that's just to irritate him.” He can't help but grin at his own assholeishness. “Why, though? Do you want to drop the honorific? I don't really care what you call me.”

“Can I call you Mori?”

Bless the darkness and his blooming sunburn that will keep his blush hidden.

“I said I don't care.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole chapter was planned as the get together chapter, but halfway through I decided against it. I think this was the third time I'd planned for them to hook up but changed my mind. But what can you do. We're also officially over the word count The Gambler ended on... this story will never end...
> 
> I am very tired.


	10. Happy Birthday Lev, RIP Yaku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It's been pretty rough lately, but no, right now we're good. Not good, we're great." He smiles fondly, more to himself than anything. “Actually...so, it's no big deal yet, but...we finally did it.”
> 
> Why is everyone so vague all the time?
> 
> “Good job. You were bound to get the ‘d’ at some point.”

He doesn't like the way Oikawa is smiling at him. Every expression the editor makes is probably him being an asshole, but there's something particularly assholeish about him _right now._ Maybe he's recently leveled up in being a bastard.

“So, it looks like you had fun on your little _‘business trip’_.”

Oh yeah. Oops.

“They say if you do something you enjoy, you never work a day in your life.”

“Bullshit! You spent a whole week sexing it up on the beach. What is Lev-chan doing to you? I don't even know you anymore!”

Yaku rolls his eyes. “Whatever. I did take a bunch of beach photos for their family. And I did a ton of work for _you_ in my downtime, so just admit you're jealous. We can't all take extended lunch breaks to pester employees.”

“Me? Jealous of _you?_ Hajime and I could go on vacation at any time!”

“But you don't.”

Instead of any sensible reply, Oikawa sticks his tongue out at him. He should have said no when Oikawa invited him out to lunch.

“I'll let it slide for now, but only because that's how kind and forgiving I am as a person.”

“Thank fuck for that.”

“Speaking of fucks.” Oikawa gives him a knowing grin from the other side of the table. “It looked like you two were having a good time…”

“Nothing happened. Don't be a pervert.”

The editor gasps in the overly dramatic fashion that could only come from Oikawa. “Is it perverted to want my dear friend to find love? _No!”_

“Well, nothing happened. I mean…” Yaku takes a moment to stare down into his soup bowl. “I think he was going to confess? But he didn't, so it's whatever.”

He lifts his head to face his boss. From the look on Oikawa's face, you'd think Yaku just told him he'd murdered somebody at the beach.

_“‘It's whatever’?”_ he parrots. “Why didn't _you_ ask _him,_ then??”

Yaku rolls his eyes. “If he backed out, it was for a reason. Besides, I like how things are. Why change it? Nobody's in a rush. Scratch that, everyone around us is in this huge fucking rush to get us together, but both parties involved are content.”

“Um, maybe because you're both stupidly into each other?? Agh, watching you two is giving me blue balls by proximity!”

“Why don't you let me worry about my love life, and you worry about yours,” Yaku snaps. He takes a moment to stop himself from saying anything too harsh. “...Not that there seems like much to worry about, I hope?” It sounds a little less than genuine, but Oikawa doesn't seem to mind.

“It's been pretty rough lately, but no, right now we're good. Not good, we're great." He smiles fondly, more to himself than anything. “Actually...so, it's no big deal yet, but...we finally did it.”

Why is everyone so vague all the time?

“Good job. You were bound to get the ‘d’ at some point.”

“Wow, _rude!_ I'll have you know that we have a marvelous sex life, but that is _not_ what I'm talking about. We finally did _it_.”

Yaku throws his hands up in frustration. “The fuck are you talking about? Do you know how vague 'it' is???”

The grin that splits Oikawa's face is much more genuine than his personality generally allows. There's nothing forced or malicious about it. Yaku stares at him for a long moment, eyebrow raised, until it finally hits him.

“Oh...oh! Shit, congratulations! I hope it works out for you two.”

“Thank you. Yeah, we only just got our application approved after months of stressing over it, so now all we do is wait. I'm so nervous, though. We might not even be accepted despite all of this.”

“Maybe, but you can't think of it like that. Who knows, in the next year you could very well have a baby at home.”

“I know! Ah, but honestly I'd rather foster an older child...I can't stand the thought of poopy diapers─”

“Stop hating on babies, Tooru.”

Iwaizumi takes his seat to Oikawa's right. He's got a deep frown, but it seems to be more for show than anything. Despite his appearance, Iwaizumi is rarely ever angry.

“I'm just being honest!”

“No celebrating yet, either,” Iwaizumi scolds.

“I just need to tell _someone!”_

“Yeah. Like my mother, and Yahaba, and Makki, and now Yaku. Mom will tell my whole family, Makki will tell all our other friends, and Yaku will tell...?”

Yaku opens his mouth to argue, but Oikawa is quicker.

“Lev! But he doesn't really know our other friends, so~”

“Actually,” Yaku cuts in. “Lev knows Kuuro.”

Iwaizumi gives his partner a nasty look. Kuroo is the last person you want spreading secrets _or_ rumors.

“Don't worry, I won't tell him. It's none of his business, anyway,” Yaku reassures them. Unlike some people, he can actually keep a secret.

Iwaizumi turns his glare to Yaku. He looks him over as though for the first time until Oikawa cuts in.

“Hajime, can you believe our precious Morisuke and darling Lev aren't dating yet?!”

“Really?” He doesn't sound nearly as scandalized as Oikawa, just genuinely surprised.

“I know, right? They're both young and full of energy. I was sure they'd have fooled around a bit by now…”

“Not everything has to be about sex,” Yaku huffs.

“No, but we're adults now! A healthy sex life can be very important for keeping your relationship intact. If you spend all this time courting one another just to get in bed and discover he's not into your kinky BDSM sex dungeon─”

“I don't have a fucking sex dungeon, you dick.” It's all he can do not to shout and draw attention to their group. “And I'm _not_ into all that weird shit you seem to think I’m into!”

Oikawa shrugs. “I will never, _ever_ believe that you aren't secretly the kinkiest person I know.”

Yaku and Iwaizumi give Oikawa the same incredulous look.

“Well, I'm not. I’m _not_ some kinky dom. I'm fairly vanilla. And I am _perfectly_ _comfortable_ with the way my relationship with Lev is progressing.” There's a moment where he realizes they're still very much in a public place. He glances around out of nervous habit, the confidence draining from his voice. “I've only recently started admitting that I, uh, _like_ him. So I don't mind waiting. Going at his pace. There's no rush.”

The ever proud and out Oikawa doesn't seem to care about anyone overhearing their conversation. “But what if a taller, more handsome, less aggressive man comes along and sweeps him off his feet??”

“Then he wouldn't have been worth it, right?”

“He got you there,” Iwaizumi interjects as he sips his soup.

“Besides, the last guy I was sleeping with ran away to France, remember?” It's supposed to be light hearted, but once the words reach his own ears, it just sounds sad.

He doesn't appreciate the way Oikawa is looking at him.

“Do you...do you still not understand what he─”

_“Tohru,”_ Iwaizumi interrupts, tone firm. He looks Yaku dead in the eyes. “Ignore him. He's stupid.”

“Wait...what?”

Iwaizumi refuses to answer. It leaves Yaku with a heavy feeling in his stomach.

Akaashi left those years ago to spend time with his mother, right...?

_Right?_

The thought bothers him all through the week, enough so that even Lev seems to notice. Luckily, he doesn't press the issue when his questions are deflected.

“Someone is grumpy,” Kuroo teases. “You're gonna glare a hole right through the table. I thought vacations were supposed to be relaxing.”

Yaku shuts him up with a kick to the shin from under their table. Luckily, the restaurant is so busy that nobody will pay them any attention if they get a bit rowdy. Regardless, Kenma gives him a pointed glare from Kuroo's side. It's the first time they've all come to Kai's new workplace together. New places always seem to make Kenma agitated.

Kuroo can live another day.

“You try working in the same office space as Oikawa-san. It's like a fucking circus.”

“Oh, hush your face. It can't be that bad, right Lev?”

This time, their table is directly behind the giant fish tank on the first floor of the restaurant. Lev has his head propped up with his hands as he stares at the assortment of fish swimming this way and that. He's absolutely transfixed.

_Mental note: take Lev to the aquarium._

“Leave the children out of it, Kuroo.” Yaku shakes his head. “You'd probably love the chaos. Pretty sure Iwaizumi-san would give you his job if you asked. Probably give you his boyfriend, too.”

“Hell yeah! Oikawa and Tetsurou, power couple of the fashion industry.” Kuroo rubs his chin in faux thought. After a moment, he throws his arm around Kenma with a sign. “But I could never leave my precious little Kenma!”

Kenma's hair has been braided and spun into a high bun today, no doubt Kuroo’s doing. It's also probably the reason Kenma is agitated with him today.

“I'm not little, I'm average size,” he responds with a grimace. “And I would be fine without you. Do I get Hajime in return?”

“Sure,” Yaku replies quickly.

“Okay. I accept.”

That seems to have wounded Kuroo more than a joking conversation should have. Can he really be too upset, though? Iwaizumi is fucking amazing.

“Hey, I got a question,” Tora declares to no one in particular. “Kai ain't, like, gay suddenly, right? Did I miss somethin’?”

A silence falls between them as they all give him varying degrees of incredulous stares (except for Lev, still watching the fish, and Fukunaga, watching Lev watch fish). Even Kenma looks like someone stuck something foul under his nose. Tora throws his hands up. It's probably meant to be in surrender, but since he's him, it just looks aggressive.

“You know what I mean! He's spending a lot of time with Terushima is all I’m saying!”

Yaku is the first to speak up. “Teru-kun doesn't have some kind of dick sucking requirement for his friendship. He will just hang out with people because he likes being around them.”

“Augh! Don't be a smartass! Terushima is riding his dick hard, I ain't stupid.”

“Debatable,” Kenma grumbles.

“I haven't heard anything out of the ordinary.” Kuroo shrugs. “Our Kai made a new friend, that's all. Teru has to know the deal by now, so if he's crushing, I just feel bad for him.”

“Who do we feel bad for?” Lev stage whispers down to Yaku as he finally rejoins them.

“A lot of people.”

Lev huffs in frustration.

“Welcome back to Earth,” Kuroo teases. “Much has happened since your initial departure. Gay marriage is double illegal, so you better give up on the gay thing while you're still young.”

“But it comes so naturally!”

Yaku suppresses a laugh at that. Even Fukunaga chuckles from his corner of the table.

It doesn't take too long for half to table to get tipsy. When Lev calls him ‘Mori’ for the first time that night, of course nobody but Kuroo gives a single shit. Kuroo should be lucky Yaku's not drunk, otherwise he might fight him.

_Someone_ should punch that stupid grin off his stupid face, and for some reason Kyoutani hasn't done it yet.

_Slacker._

They wouldn't have noticed Kai coming towards them from the back of the restaurant if Tora didn't practically jump up and yell his name. The place is still packed with young and rowdy patrons, so other than a few odd looks, nobody seems to care about them. It doesn't stop Kenma from attempting to will himself out of existence.

_Not much longer Kenma. Everyone believes in you._

Tora pulls Kai towards the table with a bit too much force. There are bags under his eyes from working so much over the past month, but he smiles at them all the same.

“I just came to tell you I've probably got another hour. Doors close in a few minutes, but you can stick around if you'd like. Just so long as you're not in the way.”

“Us? In the way?”

Kai rolls his eyes at Kuroo's remark. They stick around for the final hour, watching as patrons finish their meals and leave for the night. The laid-back hostess and nice waitress from last time recognize Yaku and Lev and wave as they help clean up the emptying tables around the group.

When Kai does finally make his way back to them, he isn't alone. Trailing after him is Bokuto, just as ridiculously beefy as last time, only with less shirt covering his stupidly hunky body. Seriously, how is he this big and this shredded without working as a fitness instructor?

_Oh my god, stop looking at his man boobs._

Yaku tears his eyes away just to see everyone else staring. He can't blame them.

Bokuto is talking Kai’s ear off much in the same way Lev tends to do. The chef doesn't even notice them until they're both standing next to the table. His half-lidded eyes fall over the table as though it's a second thought, but that quickly changes. Bokuto's eyes go wide (and oddly round) as he looks over them, as if it only just registered that they're there.

“Ah, Kai’s bros! What's good?”

“Is that a tattoo?” Tora asks. Sure enough, they can see feathers etched onto Bokuto's skin, peeking out through his tank top around his collarbones and shoulders.

“Hell yeah.” Seemingly without thinking, Bokuto hooks his thumbs under the hem of his shirt and lifts until his entire chest is exposed. Across his perfectly sculpted pecs is an owl mid flight, poised to strike. “Pretty cool, huh?”

_“Bokkun,”_ the hostess warns from across the restaurant.

He's quick to drop his shirt with a sheepish grin.

“Dude,” is all Kuroo can seem to say.

Bokuto is quick to hit him back with a cheerful, “bro.”

Standing up, Kuroo extends his hand. Bokuto accepts it thoughtlessly.

“Kuroo Tetsurou. I've been hearing a lot about you this past month.”

There's something in his tone of voice that doesn't sit right with Yaku. It's as though the forces of the universe have come together to ensure that this exact moment will happen. Kind of like the first time Kuroo and Oikawa met, only not quite as terrifying. (Introducing the two of them was one of the biggest mistakes of Yaku's young life.)

At least Bokuto seems harmless enough.

“I'm gonna get a cool tattoo like Bokuto-san,” Lev declares later that night. He's upside down on the couch trying to reach Totoro without getting up.

“No you're not.”

Instead of arguing, Lev stretches his long arms even further in the direction of the indifferent kitten. Totoro doesn't even bother looking at him. Kittens just do not give a fuck.

“Teru’s tattoo is pretty cool. Did you know he wants to get his whole leg done? That'd be cool…” He pauses for a moment, if only to give up on reaching his target. “Are you gonna go to Oikawa-san's Halloween party?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I guess so.”

“You're gonna dress up, right? I wanna dress up…”

With all the grace of a drunken toddler, Lev rights himself on the couch. He only once kicks Yaku accidentally.

“Oikawa-san would be pretty peeved if I didn't. I won't put a lot of effort into it, though.” He shrugs. “I don't care all that much.”

“Cool. Then we'll coordinate!”

“I said I don't care that much, you dingus.”

“It'll be fun!”

Yaku narrows his eyes, but it just turns into him squinting. His eyes are having a difficult time staying open. He glances down at his wristwatch before letting out a heavy sigh.

“Lev, it's two in the morning. Why are you still here?”

Lev's face turns serious. “It's Friday night, Mori. Live a little.”

It's been a little over a week and that's still weird to hear him say that.

“It's two in the fucking morning. You may still be youthful, but old farts like me need rest.”

“You're four years older than me.”

“Yeah, and in four years, you'll also be a relic.”

With a huff, Lev rolls his eyes. “Fine. Then we'll sleep.”

_“‘We’?”_

“Yeah! You're not gonna kick me out at two in the morning, are you?”

Hunching his shoulders, Lev puts on the most pathetic expression that his face is physically capable of making. Either he's been practicing or Yaku's growing soft.

“Fine.” Rising to his feet, Yaku mostly manages to keep his balance. “But don't think you can just stay here whenever the fuck you feel like it. You need to ask in advance so that I can properly reject your offer.”

Lev pops up from the couch with more energy than one needs at such a late hour. “Sleepover!”

Yaku grumbles curses on his way to his bedroom, Lev hot on his heels.

“Why don't you want to go home, huh?” The question is only partially serious. He mostly just wants to complain as much as possible before he's too tired to form a proper sentence.

“My sister is acting weird again...she keeps asking about you. Like, more than she really should be?” Lev stops in the doorway while Yaku rummages through his laundry basket. “And mom is also asking about you, but like...in a different way? Asking about the kind of girls you like and if I think you're hard working and stuff.”

“Oh my god.”

_“Right?!”_

When he's tossed an old shirt and shorts, Lev catches them easily.

“Rich people set up their children with other rich people. Why am I on your mom's─hey! Go change in another room!”

Lev's already got his shirt off by the time Yaku notices he's stripping. Dropping the piece of clothing to the floor, Lev narrows his eyes.

“You've seen me shirtless before. We were _just_ at the beach together. Pretty sure you've seen me in my underwear, too.”

“You should learn modesty!”

Without breaking eye contact, Lev unbuttons his pants with one hand. Throwing his hands up in frustration, Yaku shoves past him to change in the bathroom. By the time he gets back, Lev is sitting on the edge of the bed, staring down at his shirt.

“This was Akaashi-san's, right?”

“Yeah?”

“He was a fashion model, wasn't he? Why are all of these shirts so ugly or stupid?”

With a small chuckle, Yaku climbs into bed until he's resting against the headboard.

“For a long time, he just didn't give a shit. If he needed a shirt, he'd grab the first thing. If someone gifted him ugly clothes, he'd just keep them. He's more selective now, though. Probably trying to keep people like his mom off his case.”

“His mom?”

“Yup. Even Keiji has a mom.”

Lev rolls his eyes.

“Oh!” Yaku seems to have caught his second wind. “Your mom! Why is she asking about me? Of all fucking people.”

With a dramatic sigh, Lev lays back onto the bed.

“Alisa is very career focused, but my parents are old people. Mom's worried that if she doesn't find someone now, she'll be alone forever.” He turns his head until they're facing one another. “She's rejected everyone my parents know, of course. You're probably the most mature and responsible guy _I_ know, so I guess that qualifies you. But you're cute, too, so that helps.”

Yaku places one of his feet against Lev's ribcage. He applies just enough pressure to feel the ribs through the fabric.

“It's good that you've already developed such a healthy relationship with your future brother-in-law.”

His foot is smacked away immediately.

“I hate you so much!” Lev huffs. “What about your mom, then? You don't talk much about your family.”

All he can really do for a moment is stare blankly down at Lev. What _about_ his mom? He hasn't really thought about his family in months, and he hasn't seen them since long before that. Are they really even family anymore?

“My grandma raised me because my parents travel for work. I still don't see them much. Don't see my brother much, either.”

“You have a brother? I always wanted one of those.” Lev says it like he's talking about a toy or electronic.

“Heh...his name is Shoichi. He's okay, just never really around.”

Lev rolls onto his side. “And your grandma?”

“She died back when I was still in junior high.”

“Oh...sorry.”

Yaku gives a halfhearted shrug. It _was_ over a decade ago.

He readjusts until he's laying down as best he can with Lev in the way of his feet. With his second wind fading fast, the comfort of bed is bringing his exhaustion back at full force.

Sitting back up, Lev makes his way to Yaku's side.

“Did I say you could sleep with me?”

“Don't worry, I'll move to the couch.”

A complete lie.

* * *

Lev's birthday comes around quicker than Yaku thought it would. (If Alisa hadn't messaged him about it, he'd have never remembered it in the first place.) The week leading up to Halloween is a hectic one, what with all of Oikawa's party planning and last minute additions to the already overwhelming decorations. It was so hectic, in fact, that Yaku never actually found a time to ask about Lev's birthday.

Well, shit.

> **Me** [2017/10/29, 21:01]  
>  What are you doing tomorrow after work?

> **Haiba Lev** [21:16]  
>  bday dinner with family ლ(´ڡ`ლ)

_Double shit._

> **Me** [21:23]  
>  After dinner?

> **Haiba Lev** [21:26]  
>  idk probably try to escape  
>  my mom is smothering me rn  
>  probably going through her midlife crisis

> **Me** [21:27]  
>  Cool. We're going out.

> **Haiba Lev** [21:27]  
>  :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

That's how he gets a completely air-headed Lev the next day. He won't stop asking what they're going to do no matter how many times Yaku tells him not to worry about it. For the entire day, it's as though Lev has reverted back to the first few weeks of his employment; it's almost impossible for him to focus, he keeps forgetting what he's supposed to be doing, he keeps wandering off for extended periods of time, and he gets next to nothing done.

Lucky for him he gets a birthday pass.

But just barely.

The look on Lev's face is pretty priceless when Oikawa practically slaps him with a gift. For a rich kid whose dad practically throws money around, he's awfully excited about even the most mundane of gifts.

“ _This is the softest scarf ever_ ,” he stage whispers. " _It's like rubbing my face on an angel's butt_.”

“I told you Oikawa-san gives great gifts.”

It's a good thing _‘Yaku's assistant’_ is a super made up job because Lev spends the rest of the day rubbing the stupid scarf on whatever exposed skin he's got. If that gets boring, he rubs it on Yaku's face. When Inuoka and Shibayama come up around lunch time to wish him a happy birthday, Lev rubs it on their faces, too.

Would it really be too much to ask for more normal coworkers?

“What'd you get me for my birthday?” Lev asks for the umpteenth time today. “Or did you forget until the last second, so it's gonna be late getting here? Is it too big to bring to work? Can I eat it? Oh! Mori, let's go to Hawaii.”

He goes from bouncy to completely serious so quickly that Yaku just about gets whiplash.

“The fuck is in Hawaii?”

“Sushi! I bet they've got great food! And snorkeling!”

“I think Japan has those things, too...wait, why Hawaii?”

“Bokuto-san's grandpa is from Hawaii!”

“Oh, well, when you say it like that, it makes perfect sense.” Yaku shakes his head. “Bokuto really is around Kuroo and Kenma's place a lot these past few weeks, isn't he?”

“He and Kuroo-san are like soulmates or something.”

Yaku checks his wristwatch with a chuckle. “There's about an hour left today. You can probably see if Oikawa-san will let you go early.”

“Trying to get rid of me?”

“Sort of. I still need to figure out how to get a stripper into a cake.”

“Will there be cake?!”

“No, but I might stop by Matsukawa's bakery before they close and grab you something. _If_ I'm feeling nice.”

_“Donuts?!”_

“Maybe. Now get the fuck out of here.”

In an excited rush, Lev does as he's told. For the short remainder of the work day, Yaku watches Lev's afternoon adventure through Snapchat and Instagram until he's able to finally head home himself. With how chilly it is outside, it's hard to believe they were at the beach only a month ago.

It already feels like it's been forever.

Once Yaku is through the apartment door, Totoro is there to greet him. At five months old, he's getting pretty big for a kitten. He's still got his dumb kitten face, though, but he seems to finally be learning how to cat. Slowly, he's getting it.

Absentmindedly, Yaku waves a feather toy around for Totoro to flail at. It's amazing how three hours flies by when you've got a TV, and cat, and clinical depression.

That last one hasn't been so terrible lately, so there's that, at least.

Downing his medication, Yaku checks that the kitten is all good before heading back out into the chilly evening air. The bakery where Matsukawa works is out of the way, but Yaku has been feeling pretty antsy lately. In a way that makes him want to get up and do _something._ Walking is as good a thing as any, he supposes.

He shoots Matsukawa a text as he's leaving the apartment complex. Once he makes it to the bakery, Matsukawa has a paper bag ready and waiting for him. When he tries to pay, the baker waves him off.

“We're already closed, so just take it.”

“I don't say this often, but you're the best boyfriend Hanamaki's ever had.”

The donuts aren't hot, but they're still fucking delicious.

Because they're _donuts._

Not eating them all is pretty difficult, but Yaku (barely) manages it. It's a bit more nippy out now than it was when he first walked home, and he can't really believe Halloween is only a day away. It feels like it was _just_ the beginning of the year. A wonderful year that was just like any other, but then Lev popped up out of nowhere and decided to be so... _Lev._

Speaking of, Lev's already waiting for him. He's leaning against the park fence looking like a giant, well dressed kid about to go to his favorite theme park.

He barely catches the bag of donuts when Yaku throws it at him.

_“Hey!”_

“Happy birthday, Lev!”

Lev's irritated pout doesn't last long. One look in the wrinkled paper bag and he's grinning.

_“Donuts.”_

“Donuts,” Yaku agrees. “C'mon. We've got a couple blocks to walk.”

“Where are we even going?”

“Where there's strippers and booze.”

“Yeah, _okay_.” Lev rolls his eyes, holding out his own paper bag, though one with handles. “Kozmin sent this for you. I...don't like that my cousin is sending you gifts.”

“Don't be jealous. He isn't even my type.”

Looking into the bag, Yaku is confused for a moment. He pulls out a...camera? Wow, it really is a fucking camera. He turns it around in his hands. A Fujifilm instant camera. Cool.

“Isn't that like a Polaroid? Aren't those things outdated?”

“Well, yeah. They technically are, but these things are becoming pretty popular right now.”

In the bag is a few rolls of film, probably enough for thirty photos. He takes one out and hands the bag back to Lev while the model watches. It's pretty simple to load. Once he's got it ready, he points it at a curious Lev, pressing the button. After the blinding flash, the tiny photo slowly churns out from the bottom of the camera.

“It's white,” Lev states very obviously.

“It'll take a couple minutes to develop.” Yaku drops the photo into the bag, taking it back from him. “C'mon. You wanna know where we're going, right?”

“Where?”

“The sooner we get there, the sooner you'll find out.”

Lev huffs, but he follows along all the same as he munches away on his donuts. The chilly night air doesn't seem to bother him in the least. Meanwhile, Yaku wants to go home and curl up in his bed where it's nice and warm. A chill shakes his entire body, and they pick up the pace.

They _would_ have met up closer to their destination, but Yaku wanted it to be a secret. Luckily, Lev doesn't seem to be paying attention to anything but his last donut. When they stop, Lev bumps right into his companion.

“Here,” Yaku announces. He throws up a hand towards the building. “We can play whatever you want.”

Lev looks from Yaku to the building. In an instant, his face lights up. He makes a b-line to the coin exchange, but this time it's Yaku's turn to smack Lev's wallet away (and notice for the first time the golden Triforce symbol printed on the front...what a nerd). He hands Lev a handful of coins, and the model moves so fast, it's a wonder his shoes don't catch fire.

“Tekken?” Yaku asks once he's caught up.

Standing eagerly in front of the machine, Lev nods.

“You're terrible at fighting games, though.”

“So are you, so we're on even ground.”

Wow. _Rude._

Playing together really is quite a bit different from playing with their over competitive, unfairly skilled friends. Instead of being beaten in record time by a smug asshole who knows all the button combinations (seriously, how do Kuroo and Tora have room for all of that in their stupid brains), they both suck equally, relying heavily on button mashing.

After several rounds, it becomes obvious that Lev is the superior button masher, but not by much.

When Tekken becomes boring, Lev drags Yaku off to some Gundam game. After that it's straight to Dragon Ball Z, where they end up spending most of the evening. There are so many flashing colors it's a wonder Yaku doesn't develop a migraine.

The only thing that pulls Lev out of his mindless gaming is a call from his sister. After their quick conversation, Lev pouts at his phone.

“ _It's getting late_ ,” he says with enough disdain to think time itself has personally wronged him.

“Well, at least the arcade will be here another time.”

Lev seems to perk up at the thought of returning. The chill of the fall air hits even harder when they do leave the arcade. He'll really need to start remembering to wear a scarf.

His hand grips around the thin handles of the bag he's been carrying around all afternoon. Remembering earlier, Yaku reaches in and pulls out the Polaroid photo he'd taken before the arcade. Despite being stupidly handsome, Lev takes terrible photos outside of a photo shoot.

“Did it take this long to develop?!” Lev asks in disbelief.

“Nah, I just forgot about it until now,” he admits. “Take a picture of us.”

Pulling the camera out of the bag, Yaku turns it on and hands it to Lev. The flash from the camera leaves them both partially blind.

“This is actually pretty cool,” Yaku admits. He puts the camera and the still white photo away in the bag. “I think I'll actually respond to Kozmin’s email now.”

“He's been emailing you??”

“Yeah. I responded a few times, but he messages back so fast...it's overwhelming, so I haven't responded since...I think two weeks ago?”

Yaku begins walking in what he _thinks_ is the direction of Lev's house, the man in question following along without a second thought.

“He's honestly not that bad. Annoying, but still pretty nice.”

“You'd betray me like this on the anniversary of my birth? I trusted you.”

“Your mistake.”

With a scoff, Lev falls silent. The city still moves on around them, but it's so familiar that Yaku barely registers it. He's too busy thinking about the cold wind chilling his ears and how it's only downhill from here until spring comes back to save them.

Winter can seriously go fuck itself.

His thoughts are interrupted by the slightest pressure against the sleeve of his coat. From his peripheral, he can see how close he and Lev are. When Lev presses their arms together, Yaku lets him, though not without an eye roll. He quickly learns that giving into Lev is a big mistake. As they walk, Lev slowly begins sliding his way behind Yaku. Before the photographer can complain about his odd behavior, there are arms draped over his shoulders and Lev's weight forcing him to bow forward. They stumble to a stop, luckily with no witnesses around to judge them.

_“Why are you like this?!”_

“I don't wanna go home. I won't be able to sleep.”

Any attempts to buck Lev off are futile. There's simply too much of him.

“Take something, then! Why are you so fucking heavy?!”

_“I have dense bones!”_ Lev's voice wavers in the fakest of ways.

“Oikawa-san's Halloween party is right after work. You don't wanna be too tired to go, do you?”

“Noooooo.”

Instead of getting the fuck off, Lev wraps his arms around Yaku, squeezing him gently. When he finally does remove himself, the night feels colder than before. He doesn't stop Lev from grabbing onto one of his belt loops as they continue walking.

“I can't believe it's already Halloween…” Lev mutters. “It's gonna be Christmas soon...oh! I bet you get together with Kuroo and everyone for Christmas, right?”

“Yeah. Well, Oikawa-san throws a party every year the weekend before. Then the day of, yeah, I get together with my high school friends We always decide on something to cook together.”

“Ooooo...that sounds like fun. I wanna come.”

Yaku turns to glare at him. “Don't invite yourself to other people's party.”

“You'd have invited me anyway.”

_“Lies.”_

Lev simply rolls his eyes.

“Whatever. After Christmas is New Year's. Will Oikawa-san throw a party for _that,_ too?”

“Yes. Of course he will. Have you not met him?” Yaku snickers at the disbelief on Lev's face. “Eager for next year? New year, new start, I guess.”

“Nah. Every day is a new start. But the new year always does make everything feel different...do you know what your resolution will be?”

“Nope,” he answers automatically. As soon as he hears it, he knows it's not true. “No…that's not right. I think I do. It's something I think I'll start on before the new year, though.”

_“Hm?”_ Lev prompts him to continue.

Yaku opens his mouth, but saying it out loud is much more difficult than thinking it in his head. With a sigh, he tries again.

“I wanna get in better shape. Lose some of this flab and get back some muscle again. I guess just be healthier in general...cook at home some more, walk more…cooking for one person is pretty hard, though...”

Glancing back at Lev, the man seems to be lost in thought.

“Is it a depression thing?” Lev finally asks.

“Yeah,” Yaku admits. “For a long time, I didn't really have much drive to do anything after work. I'd sit down on the couch and it'd be tomorrow. It's not that bad anymore,” he quickly clarifies. “I guess lately it's more of habit. I'm used to not doing much on my own. I still feel that overwhelming feeling of nothingness sometimes, but not enough to justify continuing to live this way.”

Lev nods his understanding.

“If it's any consolation...I don't think you're fat.”

Despite his best efforts, Yaku can't suppress his chuckles. A few chuckles quickly turn into a giggle fit. He can't help it. The way Lev says dumb shit so seriously sometimes gets to him more and more. When he's finally done, he pats Lev on the shoulder.

“Thanks.”

“I'm glad my sincerity amuses you so much.”

“I gotta have some reason to keep you around,” he teases.

“One day, maybe you'll grow up and be less of a smartass, Mori.”

“Maybe, but then you'd probably like me less.”

“Maybe…”

By some miracle, they actually make it to Lev's apartment complex in a reasonable amount of time. It's difficult to tell if the walk tired Lev out at all, or if the cold is just draining his energy. Either way, Yaku's pretty eager to get home himself.

“I bet your building has central heating,” he remarks.

“Yup.”

“I hate you…” Yaku attempts to shake away the cold. “Anyway. Don't forget your outfit. I don't wanna have to come all the way over here after work if I can help it.”

“I know, I know.”

Lev waves him off. They say their goodbyes and Yaku watches him enter the building. Stepping back, he looks up to the very top of the building and notices a light still on in Lev's apartment; it's probably Alisa waiting for him to return.

Satisfied that Lev managed to _not_ spontaneously die on the short walk to the elevator, Yaku turns to head home. Luckily, he (probably) still remembers the way from the last time he was here. He might even take a longer route to get some more walking in. There's no use in saying he wants to be healthier if he doesn't actually _do_ it.

Checking his watch, he makes sure it's not too late already. Luckily, he's got about an hour or so that he can kill before needing to get ready for bed. He replies to a few messages as he slowly meanders back down the road. He's only just put away his phone when he hears his name being called from the direction of Lev's apartment complex.

Turning around, Yaku sees Alisa lightly jogging towards him in her pajamas, a light jacket her only real defense against the chilly fall air. If he were the straight protagonist of a crappy anime, he'd be freaking out about seeing a beautiful woman in her thin sleeping clothes right about now. As it stands, he's not a straight anime protagonist and he's more concerned about her health than anything else.

Also, he hasn't really talked to her since the beach. Their only exchange since has been the text reminding him of Lev's birthday.

“Yaku-san, could I please talk to you?”

_Hell no._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. In August I was in a car crash and that shook me up quite a bit. Was scared I'd have to buy a new car, but luckily the damage was mostly cosmetic. My hood was fucked, but still just cosmetic. But I did just have to drop a shit ton of money to get my fuel lines replaced, so I'll be taking a sixth work day a week when I can to try and pay it off. Which means idk how updates will go, but I'll try my best. I'm also doing Inktober again this year, so I'll try to get the Halloween chapter done by Halloween, but no promises.
> 
> If you wanna follow my Inktober progress, you can on Instagram [@monkpartydoodles](https://www.instagram.com/monkpartydoodles/).
> 
> I also drew something back on Yaku's birthday that I forgot to link in the last chapter, but you can find it [here~](http://monkparty.tumblr.com/post/176794014609/happy-birthday-yaku-o)
> 
> Thanks for continuing to read and leave your comments \o/ if you've got any random story questions, you can hit me up on Tumblr [@MonkWrites](http://monkwrites.tumblr.com/).


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